THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

DAVIS 


I. 


" 

^' 

\ 


- 


DISCOVERY  OF  THE  HUDSON. 

The  artist,  Warren  Sheppard,  distinguished  himself  in  depict 
ing  this  great  event.  The  Hudson  River  is  not  only  the  largest 
and  most  beautiful  in  the  State  of  New  York,  but  is  considered 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  world.  It  was  named  after  Henry 
Hudson,  the  discoverer,  and  its  varied  and  ever  changing  scenery 
has  furnished  the  inspiration  for  many  a  painting  and  brought 
to  notice  the  efforts  of  scores  of  ambitious  artists,  not  a  few  who 
have  gained  national,  and  some  international  fame.  The  country 
homes  and  estates  of  our  greatest  Napoleons  of  finance  line  the 
banks  of  this  historic  river,  and  a  trip  by  boat  from  New  York 
City  to  Albanv,  the  capital,  on  one  of  the  modern  steamers,  is  one 
never  to  be  forgotten,  for  from  a  scenic  standpoint  it  is  difficult 
to  find  anything  to  excel  the  wonderful  works  of  nature  there 
found. 


IBRARY  OF 
AMERICAN  HISTORY 


FROM  THE  DISCOVERY  OF  ...  '. 
AMERICA  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME 


INCLUDING  A  COMPREHENSIVE  HIS 
TORICAL  INTRODUCTION,  COPIOUS 
ANNOTATIONS.  A  LIST  OF  AUTHOR- 
ITIES  AND  REFERENCES,  ETC. 


PROFUSELY  AND  BEAUTIFULLY  ILLUSTRATED. 
MAPS,  CHARTS,  PORTRAITS,  FAMOUS  HISTORIC 
SCENES  AND  EVENTS,  AND  A  SERIES  OF 
BEAUTIFUL  POLYCHROMATIC  PLATES. 


By  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS,  A.  M. 

ATJTHOK  OF  "THE  STANDARD  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES," 
"YOUNG  PFOPLE'S  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES,"  "THE 
ECLECTIC  PRIMARY  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES,"  "STORY 
OF  THE  GREATEST  NATIONS,"  "A  HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF 
NEW  YORK,"  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATORS 

C.  M.  Relyea,  H.  A.  Ogden,  J.  Steeple  Davis,  Warren  Sheppard, 
W.  H.  Lippincott,  A.  B.  Doggett,  De  Cost  Smith,  W.  P.  Snyder, 
Gilbert  Gaul,W.  C.Fitler,  C.  Kendrick,  Joseph  Gleeson  and  others. 


THE  CHARLES  P.  BARRETT  CO, 


(Ebifum  t>£ 

is  limited  to  five  hundred  copies,  of  which  this  is 


Copy  No. 


COPYRIGHT,  1895,  1896,  1897,  1898,  1899,  1900, 
BY  HENRY  W.  KNIGHT. 


COPYRIGHT,  1899,  BY  FRANK  E.  WRIGHT. 
COPYRIGHT,  1900,  BY  MAIJ^ORY  &  HOOD. 
COPYRIGHT,  1904,  BY  MAL,L,ORY  &  CO. 
COPYRIGHT,  1905,  BY  THE  JONES  BROS.  PUB.  CO. 
COPYRIGHT,  1910,  BY  THE  JONES  BROS.  PUB.  CO. 


SPECIAL  NOTICE. — The  Illustrations  in  this  volume  are  protected  by  copyright,  and 
they  must  not  be  reproduced  or  copied  without  written  permission  from  the  publishers. 
Disregard  of  this  warning  will  subject  the  offender  to  the  penalty  provided  by  law. 


THE  DUTCH  SURRENDER  NEW  AMSTERDAM  Sept.  8,  1664 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS,  VOLUME  I. 


Introduction   . 
Chapter  I 

Chapter  II 
Chapter  III 
Chapter 
Chapter 
Chapter 
Chapter 


IV. 
V. 
VI. 
VII. 


Chapter  VIII, 

Chapter  IX. 

Chapter  X. 

Chapter  XI. 

Chapter  XII. 

Chapter  XIII. 

Chapter  XIV. 

Chapter  XV. 

Chapter  XVI. 

Chapter  XVII. 
Chapter  XVIII. 
Chapter  XIX. 

Chapter  XX. 


PACE 
I 

The  Earliest  Discoverers  of  America   .     .     .     .  1 1 

The  Aborigines  of  America 19 

Christopher  Columbus,  his  Youth  and  Manhood  34 

The  Voyages  of  Columbus,  1492-1502     ...  45 

The  Spanish  Explorers  in  America,  1512-1542  .  62 

The  French  Explorers  in  America,  1524-1568  .  78 

The  English' Explorers  in  America,  1576-1590  .  92 

First  Permanent  Settlers  in  America, 

1607-1608 101 

The  Colonial  History  of  Virginia,  1607-1750    .  in 
The  Colonial  History  of  New  York,  1609-1741,  136 

The  Colonial  History  of  New  England, 

1620-1637 163 

The  Colonial  History  of  New  England, 

1637-1661 187 

The  Colonial  History  of  New  England, 

1661-1676   ....     c     ....     c     .  201 

The  Colonial  History  of  New  England, 

1676-1677 214 

The  Colonial  History  of  New  England, 

1688-1692 221 

The  Colonial  History  of  New  England, 

1702-1764 229 

The  Colonial  History  of  New  Jersey,  1664-1776,  239 
The  Colonial  History  of  Maryland,  1634-1751  .  246 

The  Colonial  History  of  the  Carolinas, 

1663-1752 .  257 

The  Colonial  History  of  Pennsylvania 

2nd  Delaware,  1681-1745 268 


COPYRIGHT    1895. 


THE  SUPREME  MOMENT 
ON  THE  EVENING  OF  OCTOBER  HTH.  1492 


INTRODUCTION 

HE  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 
is  the  most  important  section  in  the  annals  of  the 
human  race.  No  other  paragraph  in  the  vast  story 
of  mankind  possesses  so  .rich  an  interest;  no 
other  is  so  full  of  promise,  of  prophecy,  and  of 
inspiration. 

Many  great  peoples  have  successively  appeared 
in  the  historical  tableau  of  the  world;  but  not 
the  Hindu  or  the  Persian;  not  the  Chaldee  or  the  Greek;  not  the 
Egyptian  or  the  Hebrew;  not  the  Roman  or  the  Celt;  not  even 
the  Teuton,  with  his  prodigious  activity  and  strength,  has  been  able, 
in  Asia,  in  Africa,  or  in  Europe,  to  create  in  a  century  or  in  ages,  a 
historical  product  greater  or  more  worthy  of  admiration  than  that 
magnificent  result  which  history  has  brought  as  her  trophy  in  the 
great  American  republic. 

For  what  was  the  Western  hemisphere  before  the  impact  of  the  A  World 
white  races  upon  it  ?  It  was  a  vast  world  in  the  wild.  The  three 
Americas  were  an  unmodified  domain  of  nature,  darkened  with  soli 
tary  forests,  dappled  with  great  prairies,  emphasized  with  majestic 
mountains,  and  traversed  by  the  three  mightiest  rivers  of  the  globe. 
Let  us  look  with  a  moment's  attention,  and  as  from  the  eagle's 
eyrie,  upon  the  face  of  the  New  World  at  the  period  of  discovery. 
Only  here  and  there  do  we  find  slight  traces  by  which  to  detect  the 
presence  and  the  work  of  human  beings.  We  are  able  to  see  the 
City  of  Mexico,  and  by  close  attention  we  may  discover  the  armies 
of  the  Aztecs  in  the  streets.  Farther  south,  we  detect  in  the  old  . 
Empire  of  Uxmal  the  traces  of  cities  and  temples.  In  the  highlands 
of  Peru  we  note  the  evidences  of  human  work.  High  up  in  the 


INTRODUCTION 


The  Andes  we  discover  huge  walls  of  cut  stone,  and  in  the  basin  of  Titi- 
ine.s  caca  we  see  the  remains  of  marvellous  structures  equal  to  the  stone 
work  of  the  great  races  of  the  East. 

As.  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  the  aborigines  were  everywhere. 
Their  name  and  variety  were  legion.  The  northern  parts  of  our 
hemisphere  were  held  by  a  race  rarely,  or  never,  found  more  than 
thirty  miles  from  the  frozen  sea.  The  Eskimos  were  then,  as  they 
are  now,  distinctly  a  people  of  the  shore.  To  the  south  lay  the  vast 
forest  country  of  the  interior  inhabited  by  the  copper-colored  races, 
to  whom  the  mistaken  Spaniards  gave  the  name  of  Indians.  No  part 
of  the  present  United  States  was  untraversed  by  the  wild  and  untu 
tored  barbarians,  who  possessed  these  territories  without  reducing 
them  to  the  civilized  condition.  A  history  of  the  United  States  must 
include  among  its  introductory  parts  a  fitting  account  of  the  Aborig 
inal  Races. 

The  time  came  when  adventurers  of  Aryan  descent  first,  precipi 
tated  themselves  on  the  western  shores  of  the  Atlantic.  Down  to 
the  close  of  the  tenth  century  men  of  the  white  race  had,  probably, 
never  visited  our  continents.  At  that  epoch  the  visitation  began. 
Norse  adventurers  reached  Labrador  and  New  England.  They  came 
in  the  manner  of  sea-kings.  Their  venture  was  heroic;  but  only  a 
few  traces  of  their  presence  in  America  remain  to  testify  of  the  dar 
ing  deeds  of  Herjulfson,  Leif  the  son  of  Eric,  Thorwald,  Karlsefne, 
and  the  other  vikings,  who  came  across  the  North  Atlantic  in  open 
ships,  wearing  their  chain-armor  and  walrus-tusks  and  eagle-winged 
helmets,  as  described  in  the  Icelandic  Sagas. 

After  the  episode  of  the  Norsemen  in  America  the  curtain,  which 
had  been  lifted  for  a  moment,  fell  and  rested  for  several  centuries  on 
Dark-  the  world  which  they  had  discovered.  Destiny  had  reserved  the 
for  a  great  work  of  actual  revelation  for  certain  navigators  and  dreamer!? 
Time  whose  skill  had  been  acquired  in  the  Mediterranean  waters,  and 
whose  courage  was  a  remaining  strain  of  the  energy  and  aggressive 
ness  of  the  Roman  race.  In  the  latter  half  of  the  fifteenth  centmy 
the  best  representatives  of  that  race  dwelt  in  the  maritime  cities  of 
Italy,  Spain,  and  Portugal.  Out  of  these" remaining  rookeries  of  the 
Old  World's  enterprise,  the  birds  of  genius  and  world-flight  at  length 
took  wing  across  the  great  Atlantic.  They  reached  the  islands  of 
the  Western  seas,  and  then  found  lodgment  on  the  shores  of  the  new 
Atlantis. 


INTRODUCTION 


The  discovery  of  the  New  World  by  Columbus  was  the  most  dra 
matic  incident  in  the  secular  history  of  mankind.  It  may  be  that  in 
the  moral  vicissitudes  of  the  race  something  of  heroism  or  sacrifice 
more  grand  and  ennobling  has  occurred;  but  among  the  distinctly 
human  events  nothing  so  wonderful  and  inspiring  has  ever  been  wit 
nessed  as  the  uplift  of  the  darkness  and  the  revelation  of  the  dawn 
on  that  October  morning  when  "  Land  Ho !"  was  the  cry  from  the 
prow  of  the  Pinta. 

Before  the  men  of  the  fifteenth  century  lay  the  hitherto-unknown 
islands  in  the  hitherto-unvisited  Western  seas.  Just  beyond  was  the 
coast-line  of  the  continent  waiting  to  receive  the  Aryan  visitants,  and 


THE  WORLD  IN  THE  15fH   CENTURY 

the  institutions  and'learning  which  they  were  to  bring  with  them  out 
of  the  storehouses  of  Europe.  Among  the  pearl  oysters  of  Para,  the 
mahogany  woods  of  Central  America,  the  silver  mines  of  Peru,  the 
bright  halls  of  the  Montezumas,  the  flowery  coasts  of  Florida,  and 
the  fabulous  Indian  empires  of  North  America,  Hope  already  saw 
the  realization  of  all  the  smothered  dreams  of  the  Middle  Ages. 

An  adequate  recital  of  the  history  of  our  country  must  needs 
dwell  on  the  Epoch  of  Discovery.  The  narrative  must  carry  the 
reader  through  our  fathers'  devious  ways  of  trial  and  adventure.  He 
must  hear  of  the  loss  of  ships,  the  avarice  of  slave  captains,  the  ex 
ploits  of  folly,  and  the  indifference  of  stupid  kings.  He  must  follow 
in  the  wake  of  the  Cabots  until  the  shore-line  of  North  America  is 
traced  from  Labrador  to  Hatteras.  He  must  note  the  success  of 


The 
Uplift  of 

the 
Dark- 
ness 


The 
Epoch  of 

Dis 
covery 


INTRODUCTION 


Coloni-    Amerigo  Vespucci  in  having  his  name  bestowed  on  the  Western 
and       hemisphere.     He  must  mark  the  voyages  of  Cortereal  and  Veraz- 
zano  an<^  Da  Gama,  until  the  mystery    of  the    sea  is  solved,   and 
the  circumnavigation  of  the  globe  effected  by  Magellan. 

Beginning  with  the  foundation  of  English  civilization  at  James^ 
town,  in  the  year  1607,  and  the  still  more  successful  planting  of  col 
onies  in  New  England  shortly  afterward,  the  student  of  our  national 
annals  enters  the  Period  of  Colonization  and  Development.  Already 
the  Spanish  planting  in  the  South  was  accomplished.  Saint  Augus 
tine  was  founded  first,  and  then  Santa  Fe".  Already  the  power,  of 
Spain  had  been  permanently  established  in  Mexico  and  Central 
America ;  but  the  earlier  footing  did  not  prevail  against  the  superior 
enterprise  and  energy  of  England  and  France.  To  these  fell  the  bet 
ter  parts  of  North  America.  A  New  France  was  created  first,  then 
a  New  England,  then  a  New  Netherlands,  and  a  New  Sweden.  Vir 
ginia,  lagging  for  a  season  and  suffering  from  her  Indian  wars, 
began  to  flourish  and  expand.  The  Carolinas  were  colonized.  Penn 
sylvania  was  taken  by  the  followers  of  Penn.  There  were  Hugue 
nots,  and  Salzburgers,  and  Catholics.  There  were  representatives  of 
almost  every  race  and  creed.  Wisdom  in  some  places  was  interwoven 
with  folly.  Liberty  was  encouraged  here,  and  innocence  was  perse 
cuted  there. 

Such  was  the  situation  on  the  Eastern  borders  of  our  country  in 
the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century,  that  the  right  of  the  strong 
est  must  be  determined  by  war.  Already  the  colonists  had  been 
compelled  to  make  war  on  the  aborigines  who  hovered  on  the  borders 
of  every  settlement.  For  a  long  time  there  was  a  frontier-line  of  con 
flict  between  the  colonists  and  the  native  races.  The  latter  were 
pressed  back  farther  and  farther  into  the  interior.  Then  arose  the 
portent  of  a  more  serious  trouble  among  the  representatives  of  the 
Warring  different  European  races  in  America.  The  French  were  on  the 
north ;  they  held  the  valley  of  the  St.  Lawrence ;  they  sought  to  pos 
sess  themselves  also  of  the  valley  of  the  Ohio,  and  of  the  still  greater 
valley  of  the  Mississippi.  The  Spaniards  were  on  the  south;  they 
held  Spanish  Florida.  They  would  fain  control  the  lower  Missis 
sippi,  and  the  whole  coast  of  the  Gulf  as  far  as  Mexico.  The  Eng 
lish  colonists  held  the  central  Atlantic  border  from  the  St.  Croix  to 
the  Savannah. 

Out  of  this  condition  arose  the  Intercolonial  Wars  of  the  eighteenth 


INTRODUCTION 


The  century.  These  were  most  important  in  determining  the  future 
colonial  destinies  of  civilization  in 'the  Western  hemisphere.  The  colonists 
Wars  represented,  in  their  spirit  and  purpose,  the  home  nations  of  Europe. 
They  could  not  amalgamate  because  of  race  prejudices  and  animosi 
ties.  The  question  of  supremacy  had  to  be  decided  by  the  sword. 
The  home  nations  came  to  the  rescue,  each  of  its  own.  The  wars 
that  began  in  the  reign  of  King  William  were  concluded  in  the  first 
years  of  the  reign  of  George  III.  with  the  triumph  of  the  English 
colonies.  France  was  defeated  and  expelled  from  the  central  regions 
of  the  continent.  Spain  was  forced  to  recede  on  the  south,  and  to 
•  content  herself  with  Florida. 

Before  the  conclusion  of  the  French  and  Indian  War,  serious  diffi 
culties  had  arisen  between  the  local  communities  in  the  old  Thirteen 
Colonies  and  the  paramount  authority  of  the  British  Crown.  There 
was  the  question  of  taxation,  closely  allied  with  the  question  of  local 
self-government,  and  with  the  right  of  representation  in  Parliament. 
Within  two  years  of  the  conclusion  of  the  conflict  referred  to,  a 
crisis  was  reached  in  the  strained  relations  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay 
Colony  and  the  British  authorities,  which  threatened  imminent  war. 
This  condition  was  soothed  and  aggravated  by  turns  for  a  period  of 
ten  years,  and  then,  in  the  spring  of  1775,  broke  out  the  actual  con 
flict  by  which  the  dependency  of  the  English  colonies  in  America 
on  the  mother  country  was  broken  and  finally  annulled.  This  was 
accomplished  partly  by  a  Patriotic  Revolution  ending  in  a  Declaration 
pendence  of  Independence,  and  partly  by  armed  resistance  culminating  in  a 
war  of  seven  years'  duration  and  the  final  victory  of  the  rebellious 
armies. 

Thus  far,  namely,  to  the  last  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the 
annals  of  our  colonial  States  lead  us  through  a  series  of  vicissitudes, 
mostly  of  a  hostile,  and  finally  of  a  revolutionary  character.  With 
the  establishment  of  the  American  Union  by  the  treaty  of  1783,  and 
the  subsequent  adoption  of  our  constitutional  frame  of  republican 
government,  we  entered  upon  a  career  of  Peaceable  Development  as  a 
Nation.  Very  soon  our  progress  was  broken  by  a  Second  War  with 
the  Mother  Country.  But  this  also  passed  without  serious  results, 
and  a  second  great  stride  over  a  period  of  thirty  years  was  taken. 
American  civilization  assumed  a  character  of  its  own.  Population 
poured  through  the  passes  of  the  Alleghenies  and  spread  into  the 
great  central  valleys.  States  were  multiplied.  As  the  result  of  a 


Ameri 
can 

Inde- 


INTRODUCTION 


brief  and    victorious     War  with  Mexico,   the   possession  of   Texas 
was  made  secure. 

Between  the  conclusion  of  our  conflict  with  Mexico  and  the  out 
break  of  the  Civil  War,  a  period  of  more  than  twelve  years  elapsed, 
and  then  came  the  great  ordeal  for  the  determination  of  the  perpetu 
ity  of  the  Union.  The  issue  involved  had  existed  since  the  founda 
tion  of  the  government.  The  peculiar  organization  of  a  union  com 
posed  of  thirteen  parts,  destined  in  the  course  of  a  century  to  become 
more  than  three  times  as  many,  left  the  way  open  for  a  bitter  con 
troversy  relative  to  our  Constitution.  Were  we  many,  or  were  we 
one  ?  In  a  sense  we  were  one ;  in  another  sense  we  were  many. 
According  to  our  national  motto,  we  were  Many  in  One.  There 
was  both  unity  and  multiplicity ;  but  which  principle  should  predom 
inate  over  the  other?  Should  sovereignty  rest  in  the  Union  or  rest 
in  the  States  ?  It  could  not  rest  in  both.  It  must  rest  in  one  or 
the  other.  For  a  long  time  the  question  ebbed  and  flowed.  Some 
times  the  discussion  was  wild;  sometimes  it  was  angry.  At  last  the 
issue  came  to  blows,  and  the  blows  to  blood.  The  nation  was  rent 
asunder. 

"  Then  armies  rose  from  out  the  earth, 

And  great  ships  loomed  upon  the  sea. 
And  Liberty  had  second  birth 
In  blood  and  fire  and  victory  ! " 

If  the  period  of  our  Revolution  be  designated  in  American  history 
as  the  heroic  age,  then  must  the  period  of  our  Civil  War  be  designated 
as  the  age  of  the  epic  and  the  tragedy.  Never  before  on  these  con 
tinents,  and  rarely  or  never  before  in,  the  history  of  mankind,  have 
such  scenes  been  witnessed.  The  defiant  Confederacy  was  girt  at 
length  with  a  rim  of  fire.  Around  the  circuit  the  Union  armies  beat 
with  prodigious  assaults,  sometimes  repelled  and  sometimes  breaking 
through.  The  waste  of  life  was  appalling;  the  destruction  of  prop 
erty  was  indescribable;  there  was  havoc  on  earth  and  sulphurous 
smoke  in  the  heavens.  Gradually  the  rim  of  fire  narrowed  until  only 
a  few  States  were  pent  within  the  circle.  The  pressure*  of  the  Union 
arms  became  overwhelming;  and  finally  after  one  volcanic  blaze  the 
conflagration  was  quenched. 

This  miraculous  and  terrible  conflict  was  marked  with  tne  De 
velopment  of  Great  Characters.  Men  of  the  highest  genius  arose  as 
leaders  in  battle  and  cabinet.  Tall  and  strong  they  were;  warriors 


One  or 

Many? 


Age  of 

the 

Epic 

and  the 

Tragedy 


8  INTRODUCTION 

Leaders  and  statesmen,  counsellors  and  philanthropists,  mingled  together  in 
and  the  tremendous  scene.  Not  on  one  side  only  did  the  great  men  of 

Cabinet  tne  gp^h  rjse>  They  of  the  Confederacy,  as  well  as  they  of  the 
Union,  exemplified  every  phase  of  heroism  and  sacrifice.  Many 
died.  Many  came  forth  alive.  Lincoln,  the  greatest  of  all,  died 
in  the  hour  of  triumph. 

"  He  had  been  born  a  destined  work  to  do, 

And  lived  to  do  it ;  four  long-suffering  years — 
Ill-fate,  ill-feeling,  ill-report  lived  through — 

And  then  he  heard  the  hisses  change  to  cheers. " 

Of  those  who  emerged  from  the  conflict,  some  rose  to  the  highest 
civil  stations ;  a  few  were  eclipsed  by  misdirected  ambitions ;  some 
at  an  early  day  were  called  from  the  scenes  of  earth.  The  names  of 
Grant,  Sherman,  Sheridan,  Thomas,  Farragut,  became  household 
words  among  the  nations.  The  great  Lee,  honored  for  a  brief  season 
with  educational  responsibilities,  passed  away.  Gradually  the  num 
ber  of  the  great  actors  was  diminished,  until  at  the  close  of  the  cen 
tury  only  a  few  still  stood  like  the  solitary  oaks  of  another  generation 
in  the  smaller  forest  and  underwood  of  the  present. 

Great  were  the  Consequences  of  the  Civil  War.  Society  in  the 
United  States  was  transformed.  There  was  a  unification  of  the 
people  and  a  centralization  of  institutions.  A  great  debt  was  en 
tailed  upon  the  nation  which  constituted  from  that  time  forth  the 
central  fact  in  a  prodigious  bonded  interest,  on  which  a  new  financial 
system  was  established,  and  out  of  which  new  ideals  in  industry, 
manufacture,  and  commerce  were  created. 

The  There  is  a  sense,  however,  in  which  the  Civil  War  was  the  begin- 

offhe      ning  of  nationality  in  our  country.     The  right  of  States  to  secede 

Sword     from  the  Union  was  destroyed  by  the  unanswerable  logic   of  the 

sword.     The  doctrine  of  Hamilton  and  Webster  was  victorious  in 

McLean's  house  at  Appomattox.     The  doctrine  of  Hayne  and  Cal- 

houn  was  sheathed  with  the  swords  of  Lee  and  Longstreet. 

As  a  result  of  the  Civil  War  the  national  domain  was  unified  and 
was  speedily  divided  into  prospective  States.  Star  after  star  was 
added  to  the  national  flag,  until  all  tne  vast  territories  of  the  Repub 
lic  except  New  Mexico,  Oklahoma,  the  Indian  Territory,  Arizona, 
and  Alaska  were  admitted  to  Statehood.  The  Union  became  im 
mense.  The  volume  of  population  rolled  on  like  an  ever- broaden  ing 
river.  The  closing  years  of  the  century  saw  the  population  existing 


INTRODUCTION  9 

at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  doubled  in  number.     To  this  tremendous  Marvel- 
aggregate  of  more  than  seventy  millions   the  nations  of  the    Old  Growth 
World  had  continued  to  contribute,  until  the  great  cities  of  the  sea-  prjnjes 
board  were  converted  into  a  melange  of  races.     The  spirit  of  com 
merce  supervened.     The  old  individual   industries    were   in    large 
measure  absorbed  by  great  establishments  having  labor-saving  ma 
chinery  as  their  bottom  fact  and  cheapened  production  as  their  issue. 

Mingled  with  this  strain  of  progress  —  with  this  paean  of  battle 
and  ode  of  physical  triumph  —  is  blended  the  symphony  of  Social 
Evolution.  The  nineteenth  century  must  ever  be  memorable  in  the 
annals  of  mankind  for  the  progress  which  it  has  made  in  the  arts  and 
sciences.  The  scientific  development  of  the  new  nation  has  been 
most  marvellous  of  all.  There  are  men  still  living  whose  lives  ante 
date  the  first  successful  application  of  steam  to  water  navigation. 
There  are  thousands  of  men  in  the  world  who  can  remember  the 
dubious  construction  of  the  first  rude  railway.  There  are  hundreds 
of  thousands  who  can  recollect  the  stupid  scepticism  of  the  world 
when  Morse  stretched  his  first  telegraphic  wire  from  Washington  to 
Baltimore.  There  are  millions  who  can  remember  the  night  when 
they  first  beheld  the  flash  of  the  electrical  light,  and  saw  the  dark 
ness  dart  away  like  a  frightened  spectre. 

It  remained  for  the  States  of  the  American  Union  to  establish    Educa- 
free  schools  for  all,  and  to  provide  facilities  before  unknown  for  the      l%£& 


industrial  and  scientific  education  of  the  people.  The  nations  of  the 
Old  World  have  been  obliged  to  transplant  and  initiate  our  system  of  Work 
public  education.  In  like  manner  new  ideals  have  been  followed  in 
the  care  of  the  unfortunate.  It  must  be  allowed  that  a  great  and 
sincere  humanity  has  been  shown  in  the  United  States  for  the  pro 
tection  of  those  who  have  suffered  in  their  lives  and  fortunes  at  the 
hands  of  nature.  Here  for  the  blind  the  asylum  and  the  home  have 
been  created.  Here  the  dumb  have  been  taught  to  speak,  and  here 
the  cripple  has  found  a  way.  Here  the  insane  have  been  rescued 
from  the  evil  spirits  that  possessed  them,  and  here  the  unfortunate 
defenders  of  the  Union  have  been  gathered  into  comfortable  homes, 
in  the  midst  of  cheerful  surroundings,  to  pass  the  remainder  of  their 
lives  in  peaceful  meditation. 

Scarcely  had  the  enthusiasm  attending  the  Columbian  Exposition 
of  1893  subsided,  when  a  com  plication  arose,  relative  to  Spain's  ad-     € 
ministration  in  the  West  Indies,  which  led  to  a  war  between  that  coun- 


10 


INTRODUCTION 


A  War 

for 
Human* 

ity 


try  and  the  United  States.  It  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  condition 
of  affairs  in  Cuba  and  the  other  Spanish  dependencies  near  the 
American  coast  had  been  a  disgrace  to  the  mother  country  and  to 
civilization  itself.  It  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  cry  of  the  Cubans 
for  freedom  and  independence  was  a  cry  that  might  well  be  heard 
and  heeded.  It  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  destruction  of  one  of  our 
battleships,  under  circumstances  of  dire  suspicion,  might  well  pro 
voke  a  hostile  and  vindictive  answer.  In  any  event,  the  Spanish- 
American  War  opened,. and  ran  its  brief  but  decisive  course.  The 
logical  result  followed  and  the  time-honored  but  deplorable  dominion 
of  Spain  in  the  lands  and  islands  discovered  by  Columbus  ended 
forever. 

This  work  has  been  undertaken  with  the  purpose  of  presenting  a 
complete  record  of  our  history  as  a  nation.  That  such  a  work  is  even 
approximately  perfect — that  the  reader  shall  see  reflected  therein, 
without  shadow  or  cloud,  the  incidents  of  the  living  drama  in  just 
proportion  and  natural  sequence — is  more  than  the  writer  may  hope 
fully  to  have  attained,  though  it  is  not  more  than  he  could  wish  to 
accomplish.  He  has  striven  to  comply  with  the  requisites  in  pro 
ducing  a  complete  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES,  and  at  its  con 
clusion,  sends  it  forth,  confidently  believing  in  the  institutions  of 
his  country,  and  hoping  for  the  betterment  not  only  of  his  fellow- 
countrymen,  but  of  all  mankind. 


THE  HISTORY 

OF    THE 

UNITED  STATES 


PERIOD   I  -DISCOVERY    AND    EXPLORATION 

CHAPTER    I 
THE  EARLIEST  DISCOVERERS  OF  AMERICA 

\Authorities:  The  evidence  in  support  of  the  visits  of  Europeans  to  the  New  World 
before  Columbus's  day  is,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  text,  so  meagre  and  indefinite  that 
no  conclusive  authorities  can  be  well  cited.  The  reader  can  be  referred  only  to  tradition 
or  conjecture,  as  embodied  in  such  works  as  Prof.  John  Fiske's  "  The  Discovery  of 
America  ;  "  Payne's  "  History  of  the  New  World,  called  America  ;  "  and  to  the  initial 
chapters  in  the  standard  histories  of  Bancroft,  Hildreth,  Lossing,  and  Henry.  For  the 
supposed  proofs  of  the  Norse  voyages  to  the  continent,  and  the  temporary  sojourn  of 
Scandinavian  mariners  on  the  New  England  coasts,  Horsford's  "  Discovery  by  North- 
men,"  with  its  elaborate  photographs,  may  be  consulted  ;  and  for  early  maps,  as  well  as 
for  the  narrative  account  of  the  first  explorations  in  the  New  World,  see  Justin  Winsor's 
monumental  work,  '*  Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  America."] 

HRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS,  though  he  was  by  The  firtf 
no  means  the  first  white  man  to  set  foot  on  the     to  the 


shores  of  the  New  World,  was,  nevertheless,  the 
true  discoverer  of  America,  and  the  glory  of  the  A.D.iooo 
grand  achievement,  through  all  the  ages  to  come, 
will  be  his  alone.  More  than  four  hundred  years 
before  he  was  born,  the  daring  Norsemen,  leaving 
their  homes  in  Norway  and  Denmark,  sailed  out  on  the  great  Atlan 
tic  and  made  voyages  that  extended  hundreds  of  miles  and  kept 
them  beyond  sight  of  land  for  days  and  weeks  at  a  time.  Some  of 
these  venturesome  navigators  made  their  way  to  Iceland,  to  Green 
land,  and  to  the  American  continent. 

This  was  at  the  beginning   of   the  eleventh  century.     Though 


12 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES        CHAP,  i 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 
1590 


The 

Pizigani 

Maps, 

A.D.I367 


some  have  expressed  doubts  as  to  the  discoveries  of  the  Norsemen,* 
the  proofs  of  such  discoveries  have  been  clearly  established.  In  the 
first  place,  the  ancient  records  of  Iceland  contain  no  less  than  seven 
teen  distinct  references  to  the  visits  of  the  Norsemen  to  this  coun 
try.  These  statements  relate  facts  concerning  the  New  World  which 
could  never  have  been  obtained  except  by  an  actual  visit  to  our 
shores.  Thus  they  tell  about  the  vine,  self-sown  corn,  the  maple, 
different  kinds  of  game,  eider  ducks,  salmon,  the  cod,  and  other  fish. 
What  can  be  more  convincing  than  what  is  said  about  the  wild  vine, 
of  which  New  England  has  several  native  species  that  do  not  exist 
in  the  less  bountiful  country  of  the  Norsemen  ? 

Again,  Adam  of  Bremen,  f  writing  in  the  eleventh  century,  refers 
to  Iceland  as  a  matter  of  certain  knowledge  from  Danish  sources, 
and  tells  about  the  voyage  of  the  Frieslanders  (Holland  mariners) 
to  that  country  in  the  preceding  century.  The  knowledge  of  that 
island  was  vague,  and  the  guesses  at  what  lay  beyond  were  misty 
and  wide  of  the  truth ;  but  it  cannot  be  denied  that  much  even  of 
this  scant  information  was,  in  the  main,  based  upon  fact. 

A  shadowy  knowledge  of  the  New  World  reached  beyond  the 
Norse  nations.  When  their  Atlantic  voyages  ceased,  a  general  belief 
existed  throughout  Western  Europe,  that  a  large  island  lay  in  the 
North  Atlantic  to  the  west  of  Ireland.  This  belief  must  have  rested 
on  the  traditions  of  the  Norse  discovery  of  America.  In  what  is 
known  as  the  Pizigani  (pits' t-gan'ee)  maps  of  1367,  this  great  island 
is  called  Brazil,  and  under  that  name  it  was  searched  for  by  the 
sailors  of  Bristol  a  good  many  years  before  the  Cabots  saw  it. 


*  Norsemen,  or  Northmen — inhabitants  of  Northern  Europe  (Scandinavia) ,  inured  to 
the  sea,  and  actuated  by  a  valorous  spirit  of  war  and  maritime  adventure.  Living  in  the 
countries  of  Norway,  Sweden,  Denmark,  and  Northern  Germany,  the  Norse  were  known 
at  different  times  by  different  names.  Historically,  they  are  known  as  Angles  or  English, 
when  in  the  fifth  century  they  made  their  descent  on  Britain,  and  as  Danes  in  the  ninth 
century  when  they  once  more  invaded  and  partly  conquered  that  country.  In  the  follow, 
ing  century,  after  they  had  won  what  is  now  Normandy  from  France,  and  had  become  a 
mixed  Norman-French  race,  they  again  pounced  upon  England,  and  under  William  I. 
conquered  it,  giving  to  the  people  of  the  motherland  the  Norman  strain  in  their  veins. 

f  Adam  Bremensis,  born  in  Upper  Saxony,  an  early  ecclesiastical  historian,  and  author 
of  a  work  written  in  Latin  about  the  year  1075,  dealing  with  the  "Propagation  of  the 
Christian  Faith  in  North  Germany  and  Scandinavia."  An  appendix  to  the  work,  which 
is  now  perhaps  best  known  in  a  Danish  translation,  supplies  considerable  information  on 
the  geography  of  the  countries  of  northern  Europe,  and  of  Iceland  and  Greenland.  It 
also  contains  a  reference  to  America,  or  to  Vinland,  as  it  was  then  known,  and  speaks  of 
it  as  being  discovered  by  the  Norsemen 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES       CHAP,  i 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  Ex- 

FLpRATION 
1000 

TO 
1590 


T 

Land,  or 
New 
Land 


Settle 
ment 
of  Nor 
mandy  by 

Norse- 

men,A.D. 

912 

Eric  the 
Red 


A  more  common  name,  however,  for  the  island  was  the  one  given 
to  the  whole  country  beyond  Greenland.  This,  in  the  Norse  lan 
guage,  was  Nyja  (nee'ja)  Land,  or  New  Land,  and  this  term  was 
used  from  the  thirteenth  century  onward.  The  French  chroniclers 
say  that  the  lands  discovered  by  the  Norsemen  continued  to  be  called 
Terra  Neuve  by  the  Norman  and  Breton  sailors.  A  strong  proof 
that  the  Cabots,  father  and  son,*  knew  of  all  this,  lies  in  the  fact 
that  when  these  Bristol  merchants  sailed  westward,  they  not  only 
took  the  route  of  the  Norsemen,  by  way  of  Iceland  and  Greenland,  but 
used  the  very  name  the  Icelanders  applied  to  America. 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  is  clear  that  the  Norsemen,  a  thou 
sand  years  ago,  were  among  the  bravest  and  the  most  adventurous 
sailors  in  the  world.  Strong,  alert,  and  skilful,  many  of  them  became 
pirates,  who  spread  terror  along  the  coasts  of  Europe.  Not  content 
with  piracy,  these  marauders  of  the  sea,  known  as  Vikings, f  headed 
their  swift  vessels,  with  their  high  decks,  long,  sweeping  oars, 
square  sails,  and  oddly-carved  prows,  out  upon  the  rough  Atlantic, 
leaving  their  country  far  beyond  sight,  while  the  other  timid  nations 
stayed  close  to  their  own  homes.  They  sailed  up  the  navigable 
rivers  of  the  neighboring  countries,  pillaged  and  burnt  the  towns, 
and  took  hundreds  of  prisoners.  When  a  numskull  king,  named 
Charles  the  Simple,  ruled  France,  the  Norsemen  ascended  the  river 
Seine  (sane]  and  besieged  Paris.  The  frightened  king  ceded  to 
them  a  large  district  in  the  north  of  France,  which  was  afterwards 
known  as  Normandy.  This  was  in  the  year  912  A.D.,  about  the  time 
that  the  Norsemen  began  their  dangerous  voyages  over  the  Atlantic. 

One  of  the  most  famous  of  these  navigators  was  Eric  the  Red  (so 
called  because  his  hair  and  face  were  of  a  fiery  color),  who  settled  in 
Iceland,  which  had  been  visited  before  by  a  number  of  his  country- 


*  Cabots,  The  (John  and  Sebastian),  Bristol  merchants  in  the  time  of  Henry  VII.  of 
England,  who,  in  the  year  1497,  discovered  Newfoundland  and  Labrador.  The  son, 
Sebastian,  became  a  notable  navigator,  and  founder  of  the  Spanish  colonies  on  the  coast 
of  Brazil.  In  the  service  of  England  he  made  an  expedition  to  Hudson's  Bay  in  search 
of  a  northwest  passage  to  the  Indies,  the  will-o'-the-wisp  of  the  period,  and  also  furthered 
commercial  enterprise  in  the  Baltic. 

"f  Vikings — Norse  pirates,  who  in  the  eighth,  ninth,  and  tenth  centuries  were  the  terror 
of  the  coasts  of  Europe.  The  name  is  derived  from  the  vicks  or  inlets  of  Scandinavia, 
which  harbored  the  rowing-galleys  of  these  piratical  crews,  and  from  which  they  set  out 
on  missions  of  conquest  and  plunder.  The  term  viking  is  not  to  be  confounded,  as  it 
frequently  is,  with  sea  king,  a  person  either  of  royal  race  or  given  the  title  as  the  valiant 
commander  of  a  well-equipped  galley. 


A . "RUSSELL.- 


ERIC   THE  RED  RELATING   HIS  DISCOVERIES  IN   THE  NEW   WORLD. 


CHAP.  I  THE   EARLIEST   DISCOVERERS    OF   AMERICA 


men.  On  a  voyage  to  the  westward,  Eric  discovered  Greenland,  and 
in  consequence  of  a  quarrel  with  some  of  his  people,  he  made  his 
home  in  the  country.  It  was  Eric  who  gave  it  its  name,  and  when 
he  returned  to  Iceland,  he  told  such  glowing  stories  of  the  snowy 
solitude  that  he  persuaded  a  number  of  his  friends  to  go  back  with 
him. 

The  oldest  son  of  Eric  was  Leif  the  Lucky,  who  was  as  ambitious 
as  his  father  to  become  a  discoverer.  He  bought  a  small  ship,  pro 
vided  it  with  thirty  lusty  men,  and  sailed  from  Greenland  in  the  year 
1000,  in  search  of  new  lands.  These  stalwart  sailors  ploughed  their 
way  through  the  icy  waters  until  they  descried  land  containing  hills, 
streams,  and  forests.  After  skirting  the  shore  for  a  while,  they  landed 
and  looked  around 
them.  While  there  can 
be  no  certainty  of  the 
spot,  it  is  believed  to 
have  been  on  the  coast 
of  Newfoundland. 

What  they  saw  was 
not  pleasing,  and  it  is 
thought  that  they  then 
sailed  southward  to 
Nova  Scotia.  Favor 
ing  winds  carried  them 
farther  still  to  the 
south,  and  there  is  lit 
tle  doubt  that  they  were 
the  first  white  men  to 
look  upon  New  Eng 
land.  It  was  summer 
time,  and  the  soft  cli 
mate,  gentle  breezes, 
and  rich  vegetation  elicited  many  expressions  of  delight.  When 
they  stepped  from  their  little  ship  and  set  out  to  hunt  for  wild  ani 
mals,  they  found  plenty  of  deer,  and  an  abundance  of  berries,  pleas 
ant  to  the  taste. 

Truly,  such  a  favored  land  must  be  inhabited,  they  thought,  but 
they  did  not  see  a  living  person.  The  ashes  of  several  camp-fires, 
and  the  remains  of  animals  that  had  been  eaten,  left  no  doubt  on 


IN  VINLAND 


PERIOD  1 

DlSCOVERV 

AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 
I59<> 


Leif  the 
Lucky 


The  Firs* 
(Norse) 
Landing 
in  New 
England 


16 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES       CHAP,  i 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  Ex- 

riORATION 

IOOO 

TO 

159° 


Thor- 

wald 


Probable 
First 
Blood 
shed 
between 

the 

White 
Man  and 
the  Red 


their  minds  that  there  were  natives  in  this  strange  land.     The  Norse* 
men  built  huts  and  stayed  through  the  winter  in  New  England. 

One  day  in  autumn,  a  servant  belonging  to  the  party  was  missing 
When  they  searched  for  him,  they  found  him  delightedly  eating  lus 
cious  grapes,  of  which  there  was  -an  abundance  around  him.  Indeed, 
they  were  so  plentiful,  that  Leif  named  the  country  Vineland,  or 
Vinland.  When  he  sailed  to  join  his  father  and  friends  in  Green 
land,  he  took  with  him  bushels  of  the  delicious  fruit,  and  specimens 
of  the  different  kinds  of  timber  that  grew  in  New  England. 

Eric  had  a  younger  son,  Thorwald,  as  eager  as  Leif  to  be  a  discov 
erer.  He  bought  the  stout  little  ship  of  his  brother,  who  helped  him 
to  make  ready  for  the  voyage,  and  told  him  all  he  had  learned  about 
the  new  country.  With  thirty  companions,  Thorwald  had  no  trouble 
in  making  his  way  to  New  England.  The  winter  of  1003-4  was 
spent  in  the  same  huts  that  had  been  built  by  Leif  and  his  men 
Time  passed  rapidly,  for  the  winter,  which  seems  to  have  been  mild 
gave  them  plenty  of  opportunity  to  hunt  and  fish. 

When  spring  came,  Thorwald  and  a  part  of  his  company  spent 
many  weeks  in  exploring  the  neighboring  islands  and  coasts.  It  is 
believed  that  they  visited  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  and  the  bay  of 
New  York,  where,  however,  they  did  not  see  so  much  as  the  smoke 
of  a  wigwam.  The  second  winter  was  spent  in  the  huts  occupied 
previously,  and  the  whole  company  resumed  their  explorations  in  the 
following  spring  and  summer.  While  thus  engaged,  their  ship  was 
driven  ashore  by  a  storm  near  Cape  Cod. 

There,  for  the  first  time,  they  came  upon  a  number  of  natives. 
There  were  eight  or  ten  of  them,  resting  under  a  couple  of  rude  tents. 
The  simple-hearted  people  had  no  thought  of  danger,  and  surely 
there  should  have  been  none ;  but  the  Norsemen  crept  stealthily  for 
ward  and  assailed  them  with  the  utmost  fury.  Only  one  managed  to 
elude  the  cruel  swords  and  dart  away  unharmed  into  the  woods. 
He  made  haste  to  tell  his  friends  of  the  bloodthirsty  beings  who  had 
invaded  their  country.  The  natives  gathered  in  large  numbers,  and 
attacked  the  Norsemen  with  great  bravery.  The  sailors  were  forced 
to  retreat  to  their  boats,  fighting  as  they  went.  An  arrow  pierced 
the  breast  of  Thorwald,  and  wounded  him  mortally,  but  no  one  else 
was  hurt.  The  body  of  the  leader  was  buried,  and  his  companions 
returned  to  Vineland.  The  following  spring  the  whole  colony,  much 
discouraged,  sailed  back  to  Greenland. 


CHAP,  i  THE    EARLIEST    DISCOVERERS    OF    AMERICA 


Eric's  third  son,  Thorstein,  with  twenty-five  companions  and  his 
newly  wedded  wife,  sailed  forVineland.  A  storm  drove  them  ashore 
in  Baffin  Bay  while  they  were  still  within  Arctic  waters.  There 
the  company  suffered  greatly,  and  most  of  them,  including  Thor 
stein,  died.  The  survivors  returned  to  Greenland,  and  later  on  the 
widow  of  Thorstein  married  a  wealthy  citizen  of  Norway,  who  settled 
in  Greenland.  They  and  other  couples  visited  Vineland,  and  planted 
a  colony  near  the  spot  first  visited  by  Leif.  The  founders  of  the 


FIRST  MEETING  BETWEEN  THE  NORSEMEN  AND  THE  NATIVES 

colony  finally  returned  to  Iceland,  while  the  others  were  joined  by 
new  emigrants,  among  whom  was  Freydisa,  the  daughter  of  Eric. 

This  woman  was  artful  and  self-willed,  with  a  temper  as  fierce  as 
that  of  a  wild  animal.  She  caused  quarrels  and  wranglings  which 
ended  in  the  death  of  thirty  persons,  several  of  whom  were  killed 
with  her  own  hand.  Finally,  the  colony  was  so  torn  by  discord  that 
all  returned  to  Greenland.  Here  ends  the  history  of  Norse  dis 
covery  in  the  New  World.  All  the  settlements  they  planted  van- 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOYKKY 

AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 


Thor- 

stein 


Freydisa 


18 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES        CHAP,  i 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 
159° 


Legends 
of  other 
Visitors 

to  the 
New 

World 


ished,  leaving  scarcely  a  trace  behind ;  though  it  is  surmised  that  the 
massive  stone  tower  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  supported  on  its  seven  col 
umns,  was  built  by  the  Norsemen.  If  this  be  a  fact,  of  which  we 
cannot  be  sure,  it  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  relics  in  the  country. 

While  it  has  been  proved  that  the  Norsemen  visited  the  New 
World,  there  are  legends  of  other  visits  which  may  or  may  not  be 
true.  In  some  of  the  Mexican  histories,  the  claim  ;s  made  that  a  num 
ber  of  Buddhist  monks  crossed  the  ocean  from  China,  and  settled  in 
Mexico  as  early  as  the  fifth  century.*  One  of  these  monks  is  said  to 
have  returned  from  Mexico,  and  published  an  account  of  the  strange 
land  where  he  had  spent  many  years:  Another  legend  makes  a 
Welsh  prince  discover  America  at  the  close  of  the  twelfth  centuiy. 
Future  researches  may  show  that  these  and  other  claims  have  a  bas.is 
of  truth ;  but,  as  yet,  the  traditions  are  too  vague  to  be  accepted. 

The  Norsemen  vanished  from  the  New  World  as  utterly  as  if  th&y 
had  never  set  foot  in  it,  and  the  vast  continent  lay  wrapped  in  solemn 
loneliness  and  desolation,  while  the  rolling  years  stretched  into  cen 
turies.  Great  changes  took  place  in  the  Old  World,  where,  amid 
wars  and  rumors  of  wars,  thrones  were  overturned,  conquests  made, 
and,  in  the  general  upheaval,  those  nations  that  had  been  the  stronger 
went  down,  and  other  kingdoms  were  reared  upon  their  ruins.  Por 
tugal,  Spain,  France,  Holland,  and  England  fought  their  way  to  the 
front,  and,  though  still  full  of  vigor,  the  Norsemen  gradually  lost  the 
power  that  had  enabled  them  to  dominate  the  nations  around  them. 
The  invention,  first,  of  gunpowder,  f  and  then  of  printing,:):  wrought 
wonderful  revolutions,  and  it  was  impossible  that  events  shor  Id 
continue  to  unfold  themselves  without  further  inquiry  and  explorati  in 
in  regard  to  that  vast  portion  of  the  world  which  was  still  practically 
unknown  to  Europe. 

*  There  would  seem  little  reason  to  call  in  question  this  claim,  so  far,  at  least,  as  re 
lates  to  the  Asiatic  origin  of  the  native  races  on  this  Continent.  In  Peru,  and  in 
Mexico  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  Conquest,  under  Cortes,  in  1519-21,  the  Spaniards 
found  organized  nations,  such  as  the  Aztecs,  with  social  systems  of  an  Asiatic  type. 
How  these  peoples  originally  came  to  the  Continent  is  still  a  problem;  though  it  is  sur 
mised  that  they  crossed  the  Pacific  by  way  of  Behring  Straits,  from  the  ancient  hives  of 
the  race  in  the  Far  East. 

•J-  First  used  in  implements  of  war  early  in  the  fourteenth  century. 

J  Printing  from  movable  metal  type  practically  dates  from  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth 
century.  A  German^,  named  Gutenberg,  is  credited  with  being  *he  inventor. 


A  NORSEMAN. 


CHAPTER   II 
THE  ABORIGINES*    OF  AMERICA 

[Authorities  :  Since  the  period  of  European  discovery  and  settlement  in  the. New 
World,  grim  are  the  annals  that  relate  the  dealings  of  the  white  man  with  the  red.  It 
has  been  the  hard  fate  of  these  dusky  children  of  the  woods  and  plains  to  bear  the  brunt 
of  contact  with  the  rival  European  colonists,  or  with  the  commercial  Nimrods  of  the 
period  of  the  fur  trade.  Notwithstanding  the  savagery  they  displayed  in  this  con 
tact,  for  which  in  honesty  it  must  be  said  they  are  not  wholly  to  blame,  the  Indian  in  his 
tribal  state  is  an  interesting  ana  often  picturesque  figure  in  the  economical  and  social  life 
of  the  continent.  Important  ethnological  studies  have  been  made  of  him  by  writers  in 
the  American  Ethnological  Society  Transactions,  and  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  American 
Antiquarian  Society,  as  well  as  in  the  works  of  Gallatin,  Brinton,  Hale,  Schoolcraft,  and 
Catlin.  An  interesting  account  of  the  red  man  will  also  be  found  in  Vol.  I.  of  Winsor's 
"  Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  America,"  and  in  Bancroft's  "  Native  Races  of  the 
Pacific  States."  For  an  account  of  the  early  mound-builders  and  cave-dwellers  see 
Short's  "  North  Americans  of  Antiquity,"  and  Baldwin's  "  Ancient  America."  For  pop 
ular  narratives  see  also  Parkman's  "Jesuits  in  North  America,"  Ellis's  "  The  Red  Man 
And  the  White  Man  in  North  America,"  and  Prescott's  entertaining  and  instructive  works, 
**  The  Conquest  of  Mexico  "  and  "  The  Conquest  of  Peru."] 

iVING  learned  the  principal  facts  about  the  first 
white  men  who  set  foot  in  the  New  World,  our 
interest  naturally  turns  to  those  whom  the  Norse 
men  found  here  at  the  time  of  their  visit.  Since 
the  discovery  of  Columbus,  these  people  have  borne 
the  name  of  Indians.  Where  did  they  come  from  ? 
Nobody  accurately  knows.  There  have  been  any 
number  of  attempted  explanations,  many  of  them  supported  by  in 
genious  arguments ;  but  the  one  now  most  generally  believed  is  that, 
at  some  remote  period  in  the  past,  their  ancestors  made  their  way 
across  the  narrow  Behring  Straif  from  Asia  and,  migrating  southward,- 
gradually  overspread  the  continents  of  both  North  and  South  America, 


*  The  first  or  primitive  inhabitants  of  a  country. 


PERIO»I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 
TO 
I5QO 


Indian 
Lan 
guages 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES       CHAP,  n 

Leaving  out  the  Eskimos,  a  general  resemblance  is  noted  among 
the  various  Indian  tribes,  which  points  to  the  probability  of  a  com 
mon  origin.  The  color  of  the  skin,  the  long  coarse  black  hair,  the 
dark  eyes,  the  facial  contour,  the  shape  of  the  head,  and  the  mental 
and  physical  characteristics  (although  showing  in  some  cases  consid 
erable  variation)  have  a  similarity  which  no  observer  can  fail  to  note. 

The  Indians  of  the  two  continents  are  known  to  make  use  of  more 


THE  ESKIMOS 

than  two  thousand  dialects  and  four  hundred  languages,  but  the 
members  of  each  tribe  are  readily  recognized.  These  tribes,  some  of 
which  number  only  a  few  hundreds,  while  others  number  thousands, 
are  so  numerous  that  it  is  difficult  to  classify  them.  Different  sys 
tems  have  been  employed  by  ethnologists,*  but  perhaps  the  best  of 
these  divides  the  Indians  now  occupying  our  country  as  follows : 
The  Panis-Arapahoe  family,  consisting  of  (i),  the  Panis  or  Pawn- 


*  Those  interested  in  the  science  which  treats  of  the  physical  features,  language,  man 
ners,  religion,  and  other  characteristics  of  the  various  races  that  compose  the  human  family. 


£45 AP.  II 


THE   ABORIGINES    OF   AMERICA 


21 


ees ;  (2),  the  Arapahoes ;   (3),  the  Jetans,  who  were  called  Comanches 
by  the  Spanish. 

The  Columbian  family,  including  (i),  the  Tushapaws;  (2),  the 
Multnomah;  (3),  the  Chahala;  (4),  the  Snake  or  Flatheads;  (5), 
the  Shoshones;  (6),  the  Chopunish;  (7),  the  Sokulks;  (8),  the 
Esheluts;  (9),  the  Enishurs;  (10),  the  Chilluckittequaws. 

The  Sioux-Osage  family,  including  (i),  the  Sioux  (soo]  or  Da- 
kotas,  a  numerous  and  powerful  family,  consisting  of  the  Dakotas 
proper  and  the  Assiniboines,  the  latter  living  in  alliance  with  the 
Chippewas ;  (2),  the  Omawhas  or  Mahas,  consisting  of  several  tribes ; 
(3),  the  Mandans;  (4),  the  Mawsash,  or  Gsages,  divided  into  three 
tribes. 

The  Mobile-Natchez,  or  Floridian  family,  comprising  six  inde 
pendent  branches,  each 
subdivided  into  several 
tribes:  (i),  the  Natchez, 
now  almost  extinct,  whose 
members  are  scattered 
among  the  Creeks  and 
Choctaws;  (2),  the  Mus- 
kohges  or  Creeks,  divided 
into  the  Upper  and  Lower 
Creeks  (the  latter  are 
known  as  Seminoles),  the 
family  being  the  most  nu 
merous  of  the  aboriginal 
tribes;  (3),  the  Chicka- 
saws;  (4),  the  Choctaws; 
(5),  the  Cherokees. 

The  Algonquin,  Huron 
(Wyandot),  and  Iroquois 
family,  the  two  former  hav 
ing  their  homes  in  what  is 
now  the  Dominion  of  Can 
ada,  and  the  latter  having  their  hunting-grounds  and  their  abode 
chiefly  along  the  valley  of  the  Mohawk,  in  New  York  State. 

The  Lenape  family,  including  (i),  the  Shawanoes;  (2),  the  Kick- 
apoos;  (3)  the  Sacs,  Sawhees,  and  Ottogamies,  known  also  as  the 
Foxes;  (4),  the  Miamis;  (5),  the  Illinois;  (6),  The  Pottawatomies ; 


AN  INDIAN  WARRIOR 


PERIOD  f 

DISCOVER* 

AND  EX- 

FLORATIOM 

IOOO 

TO 
1590 


22 


HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES       CHAP,  n 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 
1590 


The  Ab 
origines 
Not  Dy 
ing  out 


INDIAN  BOWS  AND 
ARROWS 


(7),  the  Winnebagoes ;  (8),  the. Delaware  or  Lenni-Lenape ;  (9),  the 
Mohicans;  (10),  the  Abenaquis;  (i  i),  theMicmacs;  (12,)  the  Algon- 
quins;  (13),  the  Chippewas;  (14),  the  Knistenaux;  (15),  the  Nena- 
wehk;  (16),  the  Abbitibes;  (17),  the  Chippewyans;  (18),  the  Car- 
rurs.  The  Apaches,  the  fiercest  and  most  terrible 
of  warriors,  are  members  of  the  Mexican  family. 

One  of  the  most  common  of  errors  is  the  belief 
that  the  aborigines  are  dying  out,  and  that  the 
day  will  come  when,  like  the  buffalo,  they  will 
vanish  from  our  continent.  Such  is  not  likely  to 
be  the  fact.  There  is  little  doubt  that  there  are 
more  Indians  to-day  in  the  United  States  than 
ever  before,  the  number  (excluding  those  of  Can 
ada  and  Alaska)  being  about  a  quarter  of  a  mil 
lion.  While  tribes  have  disappeared,  in  some 
instances  without  leaving  a  survivor  behind,  others 
have  increased  in  number;  so  that,  as  has  been 
said,  the  total  exceeds  that  of  the  fifteenth  cen 
tury,  and  probably  surpasses  the  number  that  were 
in  America  when  one  of  the  red  men  buried  an  arrow  in  the  breast 
of  the  cruel  Thorwald,  nearly  a  thousand  years  ago. 

The  Indians  were  hunters  and  fishermen.  The  horse,  cow,  sheep, 
and  swine  were  never  seen  by  them  until  brought  to  this  country  by 
the  white  man.  They  raised  maize  and  a  few  simple  vegetables  from 
the  rich  ground,  which  needed  only  a  scratch  to  vivify  or  make  pro 
ductive  the  seed  dropped  into  it.  The  women  did  the  work,  while 
their  husbands  smoked  their  pipes,  lolled  on  buffalo  skins  in  the  rude 
wigwam,  hunted  in  the  woods,  fished  in  the  streams,  or  sought,  with 
internecine  fury,  the  scalps  of  other  warriors. 

Knowing  nothing  originally  of  firearms,  their  weapons  were  bows, 
arrows,  spears,  tomahawks,  knives,  and  clubs.  Stone  was  used  for 
tomahawks,  bone  for  knives,  and  the  sinews  of  deer  for  strings  for 
their  bows.  The  Indian  had  little  muscular  development,  but  pos 
sessed  great  endurance,  and  could  stalk  through  the  woods  and  tramp 
across  the  prairie  for  days  and  weeks  without  weariness.  General 
Crook  has  seen  Apache  scouts  trot  fifteen  hundred  feet  up  the  side 
of  a  mountain,  without  showing  any  increase  of  respiration  or  sign  of 
fatigue.  The  Indians  trained  their  bodies  from  infancy  to  repress 
all  expression  of  pain,  even  when  suffering  the  tortures  of  death. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES       CHAP,  n 


PERIOD  I 

DlSCOTERY 

AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 
15QO 


They  underwent  hunger,  thirst,  and  fatigue  without  a  murmur. 
While  they  showed  great  respect  for  old  age  among  themselves,  they 
were  merciless  in  war,  and  inflicted  frightful  cruelties  upon  their 
prisoners. 

Taught  to  follow  the  shadowy  trail  through  the  labyrinths  of  the 
wilderness,  to  outwit  their  enemies  in  all  manner  of  subtlety,  they 


Indian 
Skill  in 
Wood 
craft 


AMERICAN  INDIANS 

attained  a  perfection  of  woodcraft  that  was  almost  marvellous.  The 
exploits  of  some  of  the  red  men  in  this  respect  seem  incredible. 
When  the  mongrel  Seminoles,  with  but  a  handful  of  warriors,  were 
fighting  our  Government,  they  hid  their  women  and  children  amongst 
the  everglades  of  Florida,  so  that  the  trained  white  scouts  sent  to 


CHAP,  ii          THE    ABORIGINES    OF   AMERICA  25 

hunt  for  them   failed  to  find  the  slightest  trace  of  them  during  a     PERIOD  : 
search  lasting  for  weeks  and  even  months.  DAND°EEXR-Y 

The  Indian  was  moody,  of  melancholy  temperament,  often  treach-    PL°5JJION 
erous,  and  of  an  implacable,  unforgiving  disposition.     His  mind  was         ™Q 
poetical  at  times,  and  some  of  the  chiefs,  like  Tecumseh,  displayed 
the  highest  form  of  natural  eloquence. 

The  Indian  believed  in  a  good  and  evil  Spirit,  and  his  faith  was  Religious 
firm  that  in  the  happy  hunting-grounds  in  the  after-life  he  would 
roam  again,  and  spend  the  years  in  hunting  the  game  that  would  be 
always  abundant.  Accordingly,  when  he  died,  his  weapons  were 
buried  with  him,  and,  when  he  owned  a  faithful  dog,  he  was  placed 
beside  his  master,  that  they  might  bear  one  another  company  in  the 
land  of  spirits.  The  dead  were  generally  buried  in  a  sitting  pos 
ture,  facing  the  east,  though  in  other  instances  the  remains  were 
placed  on  platforms,  elevated  beyond  the  reach  of  prowling  beasts  of 
prey.  The  Indians  have  many  interesting  customs  and  ceremonies, 
which  can  be  seen  to-day  by  those  who  visit  them  ;  though,  among  the 
still  pagan  tribes,  some  of  their  practices  are  revolting. 

But  earlier  in  point  of  time  to  the  aborigines,  as  we  know  them, 
was  another  most  interesting  people — the  mound-builders.  Who 
were  they  and  whence  came  they? 

No  one  can  tell  much  about  them,  although  they  have  left  thou 
sands  of  mounds,  sometimes  called  ossuaries  or  bone-pits,  of  the 
most  curious  formation,  and  with  many  strange  relics  within  them. 
The  cliff-dwellers  in  Mexico  and  Peru  built  large  cities,  with  tower-  The  Cliff- 
ing  temples  and  houses  of  stone,  laid  paved  roads,  reduced  their 
language  to  permanent  form,  and  carved  beautiful  designs  in  the  solid 
rock.  When  the  southwestern  part  of  the  United  States  was  con 
quered,  some  sixty  pueblos,  or  Indian  villages,  of  untooled  stone, 
were  discovered ;  while  within  the  last  few  years  others  have  come 
to  light.  The  ruins  of  more  than  half  of  them  still  remain. 

At  first,  the  belief  obtained  that  the  mound-builders  were  a  distinct       The 
race  from  the  Indians ;  but  it  is  now  generally  supposed  that  they    builders 
were  simply  the  ancestors  of  those  people.     At  the  time  of  the  dis 
covery  of  America,  mound-building  was  carried  on  by  several  tribes, 
and  many  of  the  mounds  are  of  comparatively  recent  origin.     They 
are  found  in  various  parts  of  the  continent  and  from  the  Lakes  to 
the  Gulf ;  through  the  Mississippi  Valley  is  an  almost  endless  suc 
cession  of  earthworks,  crowned  with   forest  trees,  that    must    have 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES       CHAP,  n 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 
TO 

1590 


been     accu 
mulating  for 
c  e  n  t  u  ries. 
A      mound, 
probab ly 
constructed 
for  religious 
ceremonies , 
or  as  a  mon 
ument,     op- 
p  o  s  i  t  e  St. 
Louis,    cov 
ers  eight  acres  and  is  ninety  feet  high.      The  pits 
where    the  mound-builders  dug  copper    may  still  be 
seen  in  the  mining  region   on  the  southern  shore  of 
Lake  Superior. 

Ohio  is  richer  than  any  other  section  in  these  mys 
terious  earthworks,  fully  ten  thousand  of  them  being 
scattered  through  the  State.  Remembering  that  their 
builders  had  no  beasts  of  burden  or  draught,  no  metal 
tools  that  could  be  used  in  their  construction,  that  all  the  material 
must  have  been  carried  in  baskets,  some  idea  of  the  enormous 
number,  of  men  employed  and  the  labor  involved  may  be  formed. 
Mr.  M.  C.  Read,  of  Hudson,  Ohio,  who  has  spent  years  in  the  in 
vestigation  of  these  curious  hillocks  and  their  contents,  says :  "  On 
some  of  the  highest  hills  of  Richland  and  Knox  counties  are 
lookout  or  signal  mounds,  similar  to  those  which  may  be  traced  from 
these  places  southward  to  the  Ohio  River.  In  some  of  these  places 
small  mounds  have  been  built,  with  much  labor,  of  stones  brought 
from  the  valleys  below,  and  nearly  all  show  the  results  of  surface 
fires.  Many  of  these,  and  perhaps  all  of  them,  may  be  the  work  of 
modern  Indians ;  as  it  is  well  known  that  they  were  in  the  habit  of 
telegraphing  to  scattered  members  of  their  tribes,  or  allies,  by  the 
smoke  of  fires  kindled  at  such  places." 

It  is  quite  likely  that  at  no  distant  day  the  mystery  of  the  mound- 
builders  will  be  fully  explained.  Nor  is  it  at  all  unlikely  that  some 
boy  or  girl  who  reads  these  pages  may  be  the  one  that  will  perform 
this  great  service  for  mankind.  On  this  interesting  topic,  Mr.  O. 
C.  Marsh,  F.G.S.,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  Connecticut  Academy 


ANCIENT  BURIAL- 
MOUND 


CHAP,  ii          THE    ABORIGINES    OF    AMERICA  27 

of  Arts  and  Sciences,  in  1 866,  thus  describes  the  result  of  excavations     PERIOD  i 
in  one  of  these  Ohio  earth-mounds.  DISCOVERY 

AND   EX- 

"  The  mound  was  conical  in  form,  about  ten  feet  in  height,  and    "-ORATION 

1000 

eighty  in  diameter  at  the  base,  these  being  about  the  average  dimen-        TO 
sions  cf  the  burial  mounds  in  that  vicinity.     It  was  situated  on  the 
summit  of  a  ridge,  in  the  midst  of  a  stately  forest.  .  .  .  The  mound 
stood  quite  alone,  nearly  half  a  mile  from  its  nearest  neighbor,  and 
about  three  miles  from  the  large  earthworks  already  mentioned.  .  .  . 
An    excavation,  about  eight  feet  in  diameter,  was  first  made  from     Mound 
the  apex  of  the  mound,  and,  after  the  surface  soil  was  removed,  the      tions 
earth  was  found  to  be  remarkably  compact,  probably  owing  to  its 
having  been  firmly  trodden  down  when  deposited.     At  five  and  a  half 
feet  below  the  surface,  where  the  earth  became  less  difficult  to  re 
move,  a  broken  stone  pipe  was  found  which  had  evidently  been  long 
in  use.     It   was    made  of    a   very  soft  limestone,  containing  frag 
ments  of  small  fossil  shells,  apparently  of  a  cretaceous  species. 

"  About  seven  feet  from  the  top  of  the  mound  a  thin  white  layer     Relics 

found  in 
was  observed,  which  extended  over  a  horizontal  surface  of  several  the  Ossu« 

square  yards.  Near  the  centre  of  this  space,  and  directly  under  the 
apex  of  the  mound,  a  string  of  more  than  one  hundred  beads  of  native 
copper  was  found,  and  with  it  a  few  small  bones  of  a  child  about  three 
years  of  age.  The  beads  were  strung  on  a  twisted  cord  of  coarse 


RELICS  OF  THE  MOUND-BUILDERS 


vegetable  fibre,  apparently  the  inner  bark  of  a  tree,  and  this  had  been 
preserved  by  'the  salts  of  the  copper,  the  antiseptic  properties  of 
which  are  well  known.  The  beads  were  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch 
long  and  one-third  in  diameter,  and  no  little  skill  had  been  displayed 
in  their  construction.  They  were  evidently  made  without  the  aid  of 
fire,  by  hammering  the  metal  in  its  original  state;  but  the  joints 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES         CHAP.  H 

ERIODI     were  so  neatly  fitted  that  in  most  cases  it  was  difficult  to  detect 
ISCOVERY    them.     On  the  same  cord,  and  arranged  at  regular  intervals,  were  five 

MD   Kx- 

IRATION  shell  beads  of  the  same  diameter,  but  about  twice  as  long  as  those 
of  copper.  All  had  apparently  been  well  polished,  »and  the  necklace 
when  worn  must  have  formed  a  tasteful  and  striking  ornament. 

"  About  a  foot  below  the  remains  just  described,  and  a  little  east 
of  the  centre  of  the  mound,  were  two  adult  human  skeletons,  lying 
one  above  the  other,  and  remarkably  well  preserved.  The  interment 
had  evidently  been  performed  with  great  care.  The  heads  were  tow 
ards  the  east,  slightly  higher  than  the  feet,  and  the  arms  were  care 
fully  composed  at  the  sides.  Directly  above  these  skeletons  was  a 
layer  of  reddish  earth,  apparently  a  mixture  of  ashes  and  burned  clay, 
which  covered  a  surface  of  about  a  square  yard.  Near  the  middle  of 
this  space  was  a  small  pile  of  charred  human  bones,  the  remains  of  a 
skeleton,  which  had  been  burned  immediately  over  those  just  de 
scribed.  The  fire  had  evidently  been  continued  for  some  time,  and 
then  allowed  to  go  out ;  when  the  fragments  of  bone  and  cinders  that 
remained  were  scraped  together,  and  covered  with  earth.  .  .  . 

"  Quite  a  number  of  implements,  of  various  kinds,  were  found  with 
the  human  remains  in  this  grave.  Near  its  eastern  end,  where  the 
detached  bones  had  been  buried,  were  nine  lance-  and  arrow-heads, 
nearly  all  of  the  same  form,  and  somewhat  rudely  made  of  flint  and 
chert.  .  .  .  These  weapons  are  of  peculiar  interest,  as  it  appears 
they  are  the  first  that  have  been  discovered  in  a  sepulchral  mound,  al 
though  many  such  have  been  carefully  examined.  They  show  tha* 
the  custom — so  common  among  the  Indians  of  this  country — of  bury 
ing  with  the  dead  their  implements  of  war  or  the  chase,  obtained  oc 
casionally,  at  least,  among  the  mound-builders.  .  .  . 

"  One  of  the  most  remarkable  features  in  the  mound  was  the  large 
number  of  skeletons  it  contained.  With  one  or  two  exceptions,  none 
of  the  burial  mounds  hitherto  examined  has  contained  more  than  a 
single  skeleton  which  unquestionably  belonged  to  the  mound-builders, 
while  in  this  instance  parts  of  at  least  seventeen  were  exhumed.  An 
other  point  of  special  interest  in  this  mound  is  the  evidence  it  affords 
that  the  regular  method  of  burial  among  the  mound-builders  was 
sometimes  omitted,  and  the  remains  interred  in  a  hurried  and  careless 
manner.  It  is  not  unlikely  that,  in  this  instance,  some  unusual 
cause,  such  as  pestilence,  or  war,  may  have  made  a  hasty  interment 
necessary.  The  various  implements  and  remains  of  animals,  found 


FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  DRAWING  BY  JULES  TURCA8 
HIAWATHA,  FOUNDER  OF  THE  IROQUOIS  LEAQUR 


30  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES       CHAP,  n 

PERIOD!     with  these  skeletons  also  deserve  notice,  as~they  far  exceed  in  num- 
D^SCOVERV    her  and  variety  any  hitherto  discovered  in  a  single  mound.     They 
'L<iooo°N    Prove>  moreover,  that  if  in  this  instance  the  rites  of  regular  burial 
were  denied  the  deposited,  their  supposed  future  wants  were  amply 
provided  for.     The  contents  of  one  part  of  the  cist  (which  is  itself 
a  very  unusual  accompaniment  of  a  mo.und)  appear  to  indicate  that 
the  remains  of  those  who  died  at  a  distance  from  home  were  collected 
for  burial,  sometimes  long  after  death.     The  interesting  discovery  of 
Burie4     weapons,  found    with  these  detached   bones,  would  seem  to  imply 
that  in  this  case  the  remains  and  weapons  of  a  hunter  or  warrior  of 
distinction,  recovered  after  long  exposure,  had  been  buried  together." 
Returning  to  the  American  Indians,  as  they  are  now  known  to  us, 
it  may  be  said  that  the  most  interesting  group  on  the  American  conti 
nent  to-day,  as  they  were  when  the  country  was  discovered,  are  the 

The  Iro-    irOqUOis  or  "  gix  Nations."     No  tribal  league  similar  to  theirs  ever  ex- 
quois 

League  isted,  and  it  has  been  claimed  that  had  the  discovery  of  America  been 
postponed  for  a  hundred  years,  the  "  Romans  of  the  New  World" 
would  have  become  masters  of  the  country  between  the  two  great 
oceans,  and  north  of  Mexico.  Originally  five  nations  or  tribes,  they 
added  the  Tuscaroras  of  the  South  to  their  league,  early  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  and  continued  to  expand  and  grow  for  a  century 
after  the  first  settlement  by  white  men.  They  steadily  gained  con 
trol  of  the  immense  territories  between  the  hills  and  valleys  of  New 
England  and  the  Mississippi  River,  and  from  the  Carolinas  to  a  point 
beyond  the  northern  shores  of  Lake  Erie  and  Lake  Ontario.  One  of 
the  most  striking  facts  connected  with  the  increase  of  power  on  the 
part  of  the  Iroquois  was  the  smallness  of  their  numbers  compared 
with  the  enormous  extent  of  territory  which  they  overran  and  con 
quered.  At  no  time  could  they  muster  a  fighting  force  of  more  than 
2,500  warriors.  In  i6N6o,  when  a  careful  computation  was  approxi 
mately  made  of  them  by  European  observers,  the  Iroquois  numbered 
about  1 1,000  souls.  The  census  of  1890  shows  that  they  have  in 
creased  to  1 5,870.  This  count  includes  those  living  in  the  West,  in 
the  Dominion  of  Canada,  and  in  the  State  of  New  York. 

When  the  white  men  arrived  on  our  shores,  the  Iroquois  confed 
eracy  consisted  of  the  Mohawk,  Oneida,  Onondaga,  Cayuga,  and  Sen 
eca  nations,  to  which,  as  already  stated,  the  Tuscaroras  were  afterwards 
added.  They  conquered  the  Algonquin  tribes,  which,  in  the  valley  of 
the  St.  Lawrence,  in  New  England,  and  in  the  middle  and  western  re- 


CHAP.  II 


THE   ABORIGINES    OF    AMERICA 


3l 


gions  had  up  to  that  time  inclosed  the  red  men  of  New  York  in  a  girdle 
of  fire.  The  secret  of  this  mighty  power  lay  in  their  organization, 
which  was  wonderful  in  its  wisdom  and  completeness.  In  the  heart 
of  the  New  York  wilderness  they  founded  a  barbarian  republic, 
whose  methods  and  bonds  of  union  might  well  serve  as  a  model  in 
many  respects  for  civilized  nations. 

The  wampum  records  have  given  us  the  traditions  of  the  formation 
of  the  Iroquois  league.  The  members  were  called  Kanonsionni,  the 
builders  of  the  "  long  house,  "  whose  eastern  door  was  kept  by  the 
Mohawks  and  the  western  by  the  Senecas,  while  the  great  council- 
fire  was  kindled,  and  the  capital  placed,  among  the  Onondagas. 
Hiawatha,  the  wise  man  who  founded  the  League,  used  these  words  to 
the  assembled  warriors  on  the  hill-slope  north  of  Onondaga  Lake  : 
"  We  have  met,  members  of  many  nations,  many  of  you  having  come 
a  great  distance  from  your  homes,  to  provide  for  our  common  safety. 
To  oppose  by  tribes,  or  single-handed,  our  foes  from  the  north,  would 
result  in  our  destruction.  We  must  unite  as  a  common  band  of 
brothers,  and  then  we  shall  be  safe.  You,  Mohawks,  sitting  under 
the  shadow  of  great  trees,  whose  roots  sink  deep  into  the  earth,  and 
whose  branches  spread  over  the  vast  country,  shall  be  the  first  na 
tion,  because  you  are  warlike  and  mighty.  You,  Oneidas,  a  people 
who  lean  your  bodies  against  the  everlasting  stone  that  cannot  be 
moved,  shall  be  the  second  nation,  because  you  give  good  counsel. 
You,  Onondagas,  who  have  your  habitation  by  the  side  of  the  great 
mountain  and  are  overshadowed  by  its  crags,  shall  be  the  third  na 
tion,  because  you  are  greatly  gifted  in  speech,  and  powerful  in  war. 
You,  Cayugas,  whose  dwelling-place  is  the  dark  forest,  and  whose 
home  is  everywhere,  shall  be  the  fourth  nation,  because  of  your  su 
perior  cunning  in  hunting.  And  you,  Senecas,  a  people  who  live  in 
the  open  country  and  possess  much  wisdom,  shall  be  the  fifth  nation, 
because  you  understand  the  art  of  making  cabins,  and  of  raising  corn 
and  beans.  You  five  great  and  mighty  nations  must  combine  and 
have  one  common  interest,  and  then  no  foe  shall  be  able  to  subdue 
us.  If  we  unite,  the  Great  Spirit  will  smile  upon  us.  Brothers, 
these  are  the  words  of  Hiawatha.  Let  them  sink  into  your  hearts." 

The  organization  of  the  Iroquois  is  believed  to  have  taken  place 

about  the  close  of  the  sixteenth  century.     Its  object,  as   explained 

by  Hiawatha,  was  mutual  defence  and  safety.     In  domestic  affairs 

the  nations  were  distinct  and  independent,   but  bound  closely  to- 

3 


PERIOD  l 


Hia- 

Tw 
Man 


Date  of 

zaiion 


32  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES       CHAP.  11 

PERIOD  i     gether  by  ties  of  honor  in  all  matters  affecting  the  public  good. 

D^SO>VERY    Each  nation  had  its  chief  sachems,  or  civil  magistrates,  with  about 

^RATION    two  hundred  subordinate  officers,  besides  fifty  possessing  hereditary 

rights.     War  chiefs  were  chosen  in  special  instances,  and,  if  the  case 

were  urgent,  these  war  chiefs  took  the  place  of  the  sachems  in  the 

control  of  affairs.     While  military  service  was  voluntary,  it  would 

have  taken  more  courage  for  an  able-bodied  man  to  refuse  to  go  upon 

the  war-path  than  to  face  any  danger,  for  the  least  shrinking  on  the 

part  of  a  warrior  brought  upon  him  everlasting  disgrace. 

The  League  had  a  president,  with  six  advisers,  and  could  summon 
representatives  from  the  tribes  when  concerted  action  was  believed 
to  be  necessary.  It  may  be  said  that  the  principle  of  what  we  now 
call  civil  service  reform  prevailed  among  the  Iroquois,  for  merit  alone 
secured  office.  Oho-to-da-ha,  a  venerable  Onondagan,  was  the  first 
president  of  the  League,  and  the  mat  whereon  he  sat,  and  the  buck 
skin  threads  upon  which  are  strung  the  beads  that  commemorate  his 
election,  are  still  reverently  preserved. 

Female  suffrage  existed  among  the  Iroquois,  as  it  does  to-day 
among  some  of  the  tribes.  The  matrons  sat  in  council,  and  voted 
on  the  question  of  peace  or  war.  This  is  not  strange,  when  it  is  re 
membered  that  the  Iroquois  trace  descent  through  the  female.  All 
the  sisters  of  a  warrior's  mother  are  equally  his  mothers,  and  the 
children  of  his  mother's  sister  are  his  brothers  and  sisters. 

More  elaborate  means  were  devised  for  welding  in  one  strongly 
knit  confederacy  the  Six  Nations  than  that  of  a  simple  federal  bond. 
Among  the  Iroquois  the  name  tribe  did  not  mean  nation.  They  had 
eight  tribes  or  clans,  known  as  the  Wolf,  the  Bear,  the  Turtle,  the 
Snipe,  the  Beaver,,  the  Deer,  the  Horse,  and  the  Heron.  The  totem, 
or  mark,  of  each  was  signed  to  all  treaties.  Each  tribe  was  divided 
into  five  clans,  and  one  of  these  was  located  in  every  nation.  Thus 
the  Iroquois  were  interwoven  with  each  other  in  what  seemed  to  be 
an  indivisible  bond.  A  tribe  was  considered  one  family,  and  marriage 
between  its  members  was  not  allowed.  The  wisdom  of  this  system 
of  union  was  shown  in  the  fact  that  the  League  never  fell  into  dis 
order  or  became  disintegrated  by  anarchy.  The  bonds  that  bound  all 
the  nations  together  into  one  great  family  were  complete. 

In  1607,  Captain  John  Smith  met  a  band  of  Iroquois,  in  their 
canoes,  in  the  upper  part  of  Chesapeake  Bay,  on  their  way  to  tin 
dominions  of  Powhatan  (pow-at-an'}.  Quick  to  learn  the  use  of  fire 


CHAP.   II 


THE   ABORIGINES    OF   AMERICA 


33 


arms,  they  pushed  their  conquests  rapidly.  In  1643,  they  nearly  de 
stroyed  the  Eries  and  entered  northern  Ohio.  In  1648-9,  they  deci 
mated  the  Hurons.  A  quarter  of  a  century  later,  they  controlled  the 
whole  country  between  Lakes  Huron,  Erie,  and  Ontario,  and  the 
northern  bank  of  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ottawa.  In 
1680,  they  invaded  Illinois  as  far  as  the  Mississippi.  Soon  after 
wards,  the  Cherokees,  on  the  Tennessee,  and  the  Catawbas,  of  South 
Carolina,  surrendered  to  the  "  Romans,"  who  pushed  their  domain 
into  Michigan  and  the  region  south  of  Lake  Superior.  In  the  colo 
nial  wars,  the  Iroquois  sided  with  the  English,  as  the  Algonquins 
sided  with  the  French,  to  which  fact  we  may,  in  some  degree,  attrib 
ute  the  final  overthrow  of  French  dominion  in  this  country.  The 
Revolution  subjected  the  League  to  its  greatest  strain.  The  protests 
of  the  Oneidas  divided  the  confederacy,  and  the  Six  Nations,  as  na 
tions,  did  not  join  with  the  British,  though  there  were  many  volun 
teers,  as  will  be  shown  further  on. 

A  glance  at  the  Six  Nations,  as  they  were  in  1 890,  shows  that 
8,483  were  living  in  Canada.  Of  the  7,387  in  the  United  States, 
1,716  are  Oneidas,  who  are  settled  in  Wisconsin,  255  Senecas  and 
Cayugas,  who  are  living  in  the  Indian  Territory,  while  79,  also  mem 
bers  of  the  League,  are  scattered  through  other  States.  At  the  same 
period  there  were  5,239  survivors  of  the  Six  Nations  living  in  New 
York,  and  a  band  of  Onondagas  and  Senecas  are  living  on  the  Corn- 
planter  reservation,  in  Warren  county,  Pennsylvania.  The  New  York 
Iroquois  occupy  seven  reservations,  whose  estimated  territorial  value 
is  nearly  two  million  dollars.  As  an  evidence  of  their  advancement  in 
civilization,  it  may  be  said  that  they  dress  and  conduct  themselves 
like  white  men ;  that  among  their  household  effects  are  two  hundred 
and  eighty -three  sewing-machines,  fifty -six  pianos  and  organs;  and 
that  they  raise  annually  a  hundred  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  agricul 
tural  products.  There  are  among  their  number  forty-eight  carpen 
ters,  mechanics,  wood-carvers,  and  lumbermen,  nine  doctors,  eight 
preachers,  and  five  lawyers.  While  members  of  the  Six  Nations 
may  be  arrested,  tried,  and  punished  for  violations  of  the  criminal 
law,  our  civil  courts  have  no  jurisdiction  over  them.  Many  of  the 
families  are  Christians ;  but  a  large  number  are  still  pagans.  Schools 
are  established,  and  the  people  are  contented,  flourishing,  and  increas 
ing  steadily  in  number,  another  evidence  of  the  prevailing  mistake 
that  the  native  American  race  is  dying  out. 
3 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 

1590 


The  Six 
Nations 
of  To 
day 


The  Ap 
proach  of 
the  Era 
of  Dis 
covery 


CHAPTER    III 

CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS,  HIS  VOUTH  AND  MAN 
HOOD,  AND  HIS  EFFORTS  TO  SECURE  AID  IN 
PROSECUTING  HIS  GREAT  VOYAGE 

\Authorities  :  As  introductory  to  the  history  and  colonization  of  the  New  World,  the 
authorities  that  treat  of  the  geography  and  physical  features  of  the  continent  should  here 
be  quoted.  These  are,  mainly,  MacCoun's  "  Historical  Geography  of  the  United 
States,"  the  introductory  chapters  fti  Winsor's  '*  Narrative  and  Critical  History  of 
America,"  Shaler's  "  United  States  of  America,"  Doyle's  "  English  Colonies  in  America," 
and  Thwaite's  compact  manual  on  "  The  Colonies,  1492-1750"  (in  the  "  Epoch  Series 
of  American  History  ") .  The  chief  sources  of  information  on  the  dawn  of  the  New 
World  are  the  initial  chapters  in  the  great  histories  of  Bancroft  and  Hildreth,  and,  more 
especially,  the  thoughtful  and  attractive  work  of  Professor  Fiske  on  the  "  Discovery  of 
America."  •  The  Columbus  literature  is  legion  ;  but,  for  the  general  reader,  perhaps  no 
better  or  more  entertaining  book  exists  than  Washington  Irvipg's  '"  Life  and  Voyages 
of  Columbus."] 

[S  the  centuries  passed,  great  changes  took  place  in 
the  Old  World.  While  the  vast  continent  on  the 
other  side  of  the  globe  lay  hidden  and  unknown  in 
its  gloom  and  silence,  the  revolutions  and  over 
turning  of  governments  in  Europe  were  accom 
panied  by  an  activity  of  thought  that  ushered  in 
the  true  era  of  discovery.  Gunpowder  had  been 
invented,  and  became  a  more  or  less  influential  factor  in  progress. 
The  mariner's  compass  emboldened  nations  to  venture  far  out  of 
the  stormy  waste  of  waters ;  while  printing  by  means  of  movable 
type  made  books  abundant,  and  served  to  diffuse  knowledge.  The 
belief  that  the  earth  was  flat  was  succeeded  by  the  now  well-grounded 
conviction  that  it  was  round.  Assuming  this  fact,  it  followed  that  a 
voyage  to  the  westward,  if  pushed  far  enough,  would  take  a  ship 


CHAP,  in  CHRISTOPHER    COLUMBUS 


around  the  globe  and  bring  it  back  to  its  starting-point.     By  sailing    PERIOD  i 


to  the  westward,  too,  a  navigator  must  in  time  reach  the  eastern 
shore  of  Asia.     No  one  seemed  to  believe  in  the  possibility  that    PLORATI«* 
between  Europe  and  Asia  lay  another  vast  country  awaiting  dis 
covery  and  colonization. 

There  was  a  marked  increase  in  commercial  activity  at  the  open-  Increased 
ing  of  the  fifteenth  century.     Genoa  (j2nfo-a)  and  Venice  were  then    ciaT  Ac-" 
active  rivals  for  the  valuable  commerce  of  India.    The  chief  channel      tivit7 
of  the  trade  of  Genoa  from  the  far  east  was  by  way  of  the  Indus,  the 
Oxus,  and  the  Caspian  and  Black  Seas.     The  principal  route  taken 
by  the  Venetians  was  by  way  of  the  Persian  Gulf  and  the  Euphrates, 
or  by  the  Red  Sea  and  the  ports  of  Egypt  and  Syria.     In  the  fierce 
strife  for  this  commerce  the  Venetians  beat  the  Genoese,  who  began 
to  look  in  other  directions  for  the  extension  of  their  trade.     The 
merchants  of  western  Europe,  being  shut  out  altogether  from  traffic 
with  the  East  by  way  of  the  Mediterranean,  began  also  to  cast  about 
for  new  and,  if  possible,  speedier  modes  of  reaching  India. 

One  of  the  most  enterprising  of  navigators  was  Prince  Henry,  son     Princ* 
of  John  I.,  king  of  Portugal.     On  one  of  his  expeditions  with  his    Portugal 
father  to  western  Africa  he  heard  a  good  deal  from  the  Moors  about 
the  coast  of  Guinea,  and  other  parts  of  the  continent  wholly  un 
known  to  the  European.     Prince  Henry  was  so  strongly  convinced 
that  great  discoveries  could  be  made  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa 
that  he  withdrew  from  court,  and  gathered  around  him  the  scholars 
most  famous  for  their  learning.     The  prince  surpassed  them  all  in 
knowledge,  and  held  the  belief,  from  which  he  could  not  be  moved, 
that  India  could  be  reached  by  passing  lound  the  southern  end  of 
Africa.     In  the  face  of  bigoted  opposition,  Prince  Henry  persevered, 
and  one  of  his  navigators  afterwards  proved  the  soundness  of  his  the 
ories,  when,  in   1497,  Vasco  da  Gama  doubled  the  Cape  of  Good  Doubling 
Hope,  to  which  he  gave  its  name,  crossed  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  an-    Cape  of 
chored  in  the  harbor  of  Calicut,*  on  the  Malabar  coast.     This  triumph 
did  not  come  until  Prince  Henry  had  been  dead   for   over   thirty 
years,  but  he  saw  it  with  certainty  from  afar. 

Before  this  memorable  event,  however,  a  still  grander  achievement 
was  made  by  another  navigator,  whose  name  became  immortal. 

*  Many  histories  fall  into  the  error  of  confusing  Calicut  with  Calcutta,  citing  the  latter 
rather  than  the  former  as,  the  port  for  which  Vasco  da  Gama  made  after  doubling  the 
Cape.  The  latter  was  discovered,  in  1486,  by  Bartholomew  Diaz. 


3<5  HISTORY    OF   THE   UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  in 

Christopher  Columbus  *  was  born  in 
Genoa,  Italy,  about  the  year  1435  or  1436. 
He  was  the  son  of  a  wool-comber,  in  poor 
circumstances,  and  had  one  sister  and  sev 
eral  brothers.  Little  is  known  of  his  child- 

Birthof    ^UBF  ^HfflP    hood,  but   he  possessed  an  active  mind, 

Colum-  acquired  what  was  looked  upon  as  a  fair 

education  for  the  time,  was  a  good  pen 
man,   and   showed    considerable   skill   in 

VASCO  DA  QAM  A 

drawing  maps.     At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he 

went  to  sea.  He  listened  eagerly  to  the  stories  told  by  old  navi 
gators,  and  was  fired  with  the  ambition  to  go  in  quest  of  the  strange 
lands  that  he  was  certain  were  awaiting  discovery.  Like  most  of  the 
true  scholars  of  the  time,  he  believed  the  earth  to  be  round,  and,  as 
he  grew  to  manhood,  he  set  before  him  the  task  of  procuring  the 
means  of  engaging  in  the  great  work  of  his  life. 

He  found  the  labor  of  bringing  men  to  his  way  of  thinking  a  hard 
one,  for  the  months  grew  into  years  beiore  he  gained  much  to  en 
courage  him.     Few  men  would  have  persevered  in  the  face  of  so 
many  obstacles  and  disappointments  as  awaited  Columbus.     Finding 
no  one  in  his  native  city  willing  to  lend  a  helping  hand,  he  proceeded 
Marriage  to  Lisbon,  arriving  there  about  the  year  1470.     In  that  city  he  mar- 
to^1111"  ried  Donna  Felipa  (fee-leep 'a] ,  daughter  of  Bartolomeo  de  Perestrello, 
who  had  been  one  of  the  famous  navigators  of  Prince  Henry's  day. 
The  journals  of  the  dead  navigator  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  Co 
lumbus,  and  he  studied  them  with  the  deepest  interest.     The  knowl- 

*  It  abates  nothing  from  Columbus's  honors  to  say  that  that  adventurous  Genoese 
mariner  was  essentially  the  product  of  his  age.  When  he  came  upon  the  scene,  the  idea 
was  fast  taking  hold  of  men's  minds,  in  the  most  practical  way  to  realize  It.  that  the  earth 
was  a  sphere,  and  that  the  East  could  be  gained  as  well  by  going  in  one  direction  as  by 
going  in  another.  Hitherto,  the  Indies  had  been  reached  only  by  setting  out  eastward. 
Columbus  believed  that  the  rich  shores  of  the  Orient  could  be  got  at  by  sailing  westward ; 
and,  now  that  there  had  been  improvements  in  the  art  of  navigation,  it  was  to  solve  this 
geographical  problem,  as  well  as  to  win,  as  he  hoped,  wealth  and  honor  for  himself,  that 
he  set  out  on  his  first  perilous  voyage  across  the  Atlantic.  The  mistake  he  made,  how 
ever,  was  in  supposing  that  he  would  arrive  at  the  Indies  by  the  westward  route  in  half 
the  time  that  it  could  either  then  or  now  be  possibly  reached.  This  arose  from  the  cur 
rent  error  of  the  period,  which  gave  the  earth  the  due  of  only  half  its  actual  diameter.  Hence, 
in  arriving  at  the  Bahamas,  the  fallacy  of  their  discoverer's  belief  that  he  had  reached  the 
fabled  East  and  gone  half-way  round  the  world.  Under  this  conviction  he  seems  to  have 
rested  until  the  close  of  his  life;  and  hence  also  the  natural  mistake  he  made  in  calling  the 
aborigines  of  the  New  World  "  Indians."  This  and  other  matters  connected  with  Colum 
bus's  career  and  voyages  is,  however,  more  fully  brought  out  in  the  text. 


FROM  THE   ORIGINAL  DRAWING  BY  JULES  TURCA3 

COLUMBUS     AND     HIS    SON     AT     LA     RABIDA     CONVENT 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  m 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 

AND  EX 
PLORATION 
IOOO 
TO 

1590 


ISABELLA  OF  CASTILE 


edge  thus  gained,  together  with  what  was  told  him  by  his  brother- 
in-law,  another  noted  navigator,  fanned  the  ambition  of  Columbus. 
From  the  descriptions,  too,  of  Marco  Polo,  a  Venetian,  who  made  an 
overland  journey  to  China  towards  the  close  of  the  thirteenth  century, 

Columbus  was  absolutely  certain  that  by 
sailing  westward  he  would  reach  Cathay, 
that  is  China. 

While  nursing  these  dreams,  he  made  a 
voyage  to  Iceland  in  1477,  in  the  service 
of  Portugal.  In  that  country  he  must  have 
heard  of  the  voyages  of  the  sons  of  Eric 
the  Red.  When  he  came  back,  he  applied 
to  King  John  of  Portugal  for  aid,  but  that 
monarch  had  a  war  just  then  on  his  hands 
and  could  give  little  attention  to  the 
dreamer.  So  Columbus  waited  until  John 
II.  became  ruler.  This  sovereign  listened  patiently,  and  referred 
the  matter  to  three  learned  men,  who  reported  against  it.  The  king, 
however,  was  not  satisfied,  and  called  another  council,  who  also  de 
cided  that  the  plan  was  a  visionary  one.  Then  King  John  did  a 
base  and  dishonorable  thing.  He  borrowed  from  Columbus  his  maps 
and  charts  under  the  pretext  that  he  wished  to  study  them,  but  at  the 
same  time  sent  a  vessel  to  the  Cape  Verde  Islands,  with  orders  to 
sail  as  far  westward  as  possible  and  learn  whether  there  was  any  truth 
in  the  theories  of  the  Italian.  Fortunately,  the  captain  and  crew  of 
the  ship  were  great  cowards,  and  did  not  go  far  before  they  were  ter 
rified  by  the  mountainous  waves  of  the  Atlantic,  and  made  haste  to 
return,  with  the  declaration  that  the  whole  thing  was  an  idle  fancy. 

When  Columbus  learned  of  the  trick,  he  was  so  indignant  that  he 
refused  all  offers  of  the  king  to  continue  negotiations.  His  wife  was 
now  dead,  and  taking  his  little  boy  Diego  (de-dh'-go)  by  the  hand, 
Columbus  left  Lisbon  in  the  latter  part  of  1484.  To  what  place  he 
first  went  is  not  known ;  but  at  the  close  of  an  autumn  day  he  stopped 
at  the  door  of  the  Franciscan  monastery  near  Palos  (pak'los),  and 
humbly  asked  for  some  bread  and  water  for  his  starving  boy.  This 
convent  was  dedicated  to  Santa  Maria  de  Rabida  (rd-bee>dd)t  and  while 
the  porter  was  bringing  the  food  and  water,  the  Friar,  Juan  Perez  de 
Marchena  (hwahn  pd'retk  da  mar-sMrna),  came  forward  and  opened 
conversation  with  Columbus.  He  was  struck  by  the  words  and  ap- 


CHAP,  in  CHRISTOPHER    COLUMBUS  39 

pearance  of  the  stranger,  and  quickly  saw  that  he  was  no  ordinary     PERIOD  I 
man.     He  invited  him  to  become  his  guest,  and  sent  for  some  of  his    DISCOVEWT 

AND   EJC- 

tearned  friends  in  the  neighborhood  to  meet  and  talk  with  the  visitor.    "-ORATM* 

Many  conversations  took  place  in  the  old  convent,  and  all  who  lis 
tened  to  Columbus  were  impressed  by  his  views.    Among  the  callers       — 
were  several  old  navigators,  whose  stories  of  what  they  had  seen, 
when  driven  far  out  of  their  course,  seemed  to  confirm  the  views  of 
the  guest.    The  triar  was  so  fired  by  the  promise  of  the  great  discov 
ery,  and  the  glory  that  could  be  gained  for  Spain,  that  he  at  once 
offered  to  introduce  Columbus  to  court,  and  also  to  educate  his  son. 
It  was  a  stirring  time  in  the  history  of  Spain.     She  had  been 
fighting  bravely  for  years  to  drive  out  the  Moors,  and  had  well-nigh 
succeeded.     The  obnoxious  intruders  were  confined  to  the  one  prov 
ince  of  Granada,  from  which,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  they  were 
to  be  expelled.     Isabella,  queen  of  the  large  district  of  Castile  and 
Leon,  and  Ferdinand,  of  the  province  of  Aragon,  had  been  united  in  Marriage 
marriage  in  1469,  and  later  on  bent  every  energy  to  the  conquest  of    dinand 
the  Moorish  invaders.     The  two  monarchs  were  one  in  their  aims, 
though  they  ruled  as  independent  sovereigns,  each  having  a  distinct 
council.     Their  profiles  were  cast  on  the  coins  of  the  realm,  and  to 
gether  they  signed  public  documents  and  performed  all  acts  of  sov 
ereignty,  while  the  royal  seal  embraced  the 
united  arms  of  the  provinces  of    Castile 
and  Aragon,  which  dates  from  14/9. 

It  was  an  unfavorable  period  for  Colum 
bus  to  apply  to  the  court  for  aid,  for  it  was 
moving  continually  from  place  to  place,  and 
in  the  midst  of  alarms.  Until  the  work 
should  be  completed,  the  sovereigns  had 
no  inclination  to  think  of  anything  else. 
Accordingly,  Columbus  quietly  waited  at 
the  convent  until  the  spring  of  1486,  when 
affairs  had  taken  on  so  hopeful  a  look  that 

i  •     . .       ,     .,  .     ~         ,  ,  FERDINAND  V.,  OF  ARAQON 

he  visited  the  court  at  Cordova,  and  pre 
sented  his  letter  of  introduction  from  Father  Marchena  to  the  con 
fessor  of  the  queen.     The  man  listened  to  the  glowing  words  of  Co- 
lumbus,  but  shook  his  head,  as  a  sign  that  he  did  not  agree  with  him 
in  his  opinions,  and  bade  him  good-day. 

It  was  a  sorrowful  repulse  to  Columbus,  but  he  had  become  used 


40  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  m 

?»RIOD  i     to  that.     He  lingered  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  court,  and  was  soon 
IAIID>E?Y    cneered  by  winning  over  Quintanilla,  the  controller  of  the  finances 

""iooo°N  °^  Castile.  This  officer  announced  his  belief  in  the  views  of  the 
TO  Italian  navigator,  and  did  him  good  service  by  interesting  the  friendly 
—  help  of  the  Grand  Cardinal  of  Spain — a  man  of  so  great  an  influence 
that  he  was  often  termed  the  third  king  of  the  country.  This  official 
brought  Columbus  into  the  presence  of  the  king  and  queen,  who  lis 
tened  with  profound  interest  to  his  words.  They  referred  him  to  a 
council  of  astronomers  and  cosmographers,*  most  of  whom  were  so 
shocked  by  what  they  deemed  the  impiety  of  the  visitor's  views,  that 
for  a  time  Columbus  was  in  danger  of  being  given  over  to  the  In 
quisition.  Bitter  disappointment  agam  was  his  portion.  Delays  and 
renewed  discouragements  followed.  1  i  sovereigns  were  not  willing 
to  turn  him  wholly  away,  but  said  that  vvi,  n  the  war  was  over  they 
would  again  consider  the  matter.  The  months  lengthened,  however, 
into  years,  and  the  much -longed-for  help  did  not  come.  Columbus 
made  overtures  to  some  of  the  nobles,  but  they  refused,  and  then  he 
wrote  to  the  king  of  Portugal,  who  had  treated  him  so  ill.  That 
monarch  invited  him  to  Lisbon,  but,  before  leaving,  matters  looked 
so  hopeful  in  Spain" that  Columbus  decided  to  stay  where  he  was. 

He  had  been  rebuffed  so  often  by  the  Spanish  court  that  he  was 
too  proud  to  risk  another  repulse.  The  king  of  France  had  asked 
him  to  come  to  Paris,  and  thither  he  decided  to  go.  He  went  to  the 
convent  for  his  boy,  and  the  heart  of  Father  Marchena  was  touched 
at  the  sight  of  the  bowed  man,  as  hopeless  and  poor  as  when  he  had 
stopped  at  the  gate  years  before.  The  friar,  too,  believed  in  the  views 
of  Columbus,  and  resolved  that  the  glory  within  the  grasp  of  his 
country  should  not  be  lost  to  her.  He  called  his  learned  friends 
around  him,  and  had  Columbus  stay  and  once  more  explain  his  the 
ories  and  the  reason  for  his  faith. 

Among  those  who  gathered  at  the  convent,  and  took  part  in  the 
discussion,  was  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  a  rich  navigator.  He  de 
clared  there  was  no  doubt  that  Columbus  was  right,  and  offered  to 
pay  the  expenses  of  another  application  to  court,  as  well  as  to  engage 
in  a  voyage  of  discovery  with  him.  Columbus  said  he  would  wait 
a  while  before  going  to  France,  but  would  not  beg  any  more  favors 
from  the  sovereigns  who  had  already  refused  him  many  times. 

*  Writers  or  describers  of  the  cosmos;  that  is,  the  universe  we  call  the  world. 


CHAP.  Ill 


CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS 


Father  Marchena  settled  this  difficulty  by  promising  to  obtain  an 
interview  with  the  queen  herself.  He  had  once  been  her  confessor, 
and  knew  that  such  an  interview  could  be  arranged.  The  queen  gra 
ciously  met  the  good  man,  and  cheered  his  heart  by  asking  him  to 
send  Columbus  to  her  again. 

Columbus  arrived  at  Santa  Fe  (fa),  whither  the  court  had  now 
gone,  and  making  his  way  to  the  camp  before  Granada,  arrived  in 
time  to  see  the  final  surrender  of  the  Moors  to  the  Spanish  army. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  presence  of  the  sovereigns,  and  the  king 


THE  FINAL  RECALL  TO  COURT 

brusquely  asked  him  what  he  expected  as  payment  in  the  event  of    Colum- 
success.    "  To  be  invested  with  the  title  and  privileges  of  an  admiral     Condi- 
and  viceroy  over  all  the  countries  I  may  discover,"  replied  Columbus,    n*J°En. 
"  together  with  one-tenth  of  all  the  gains,  either  by  trade  or  con-  tertained 
quest."     Objection  being  made  to  this,  Columbus  added   that  he 
would  furnish  one-eighth  of  the  expense,  if  permitted  to  receive  an 
eighth  of  the  profits.     The  king  shook  his  head,  and  offered  less  lib 
eral  terms.     Columbus  would  not  abate  his  demand  one  tittle,  and 
the  sovereigns  refused  to  yield.     So,  once  more,  with  a  heavy  heart, 
the  navigator,  now  growing  old,  and  with  much  weakened  physical 


42  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP.  HI 

PERIOD  I     powers,  passed  from  the  royal  presence,  and,  mounting  his  mule,  re- 
DISCOVBRV    solved  that  he  would  go  to  France  without  further  loss  of  time. 

AND   Ex- 

M.ORATION        j$ut  there  were  powerful  friends  at  court  who  had  become  zealous 

IOOO 

TO        believers  in  his  theories.     One  of  these,  Luis  de  St.  Angel,  receiver 

of  the  ecclesiastical  revenues  of  Aragon,  made  an  eloquent  appeal  to 

the   sovereigns  to  accept  the  terms  of  Columbus.     The   king   re- 

TheSym-  mained  obdurate,  but  Isabella  was  won  over.    With  the  natural  impulse 

Isabella    °^  ^er  sex»  s^e  sa^  tnat  alth°ugh  ^  was  true,  as  stated  by  the  king, 

elicited  that  the  country  had  been  drained  by  the  costly  war,  she  would  pledge, 
if  necessary,  her  own  crown  of  Castile  and  her  jewels  to  raise  the 
money. 

By  this  time,  Columbus  was  several  miles  away  on  his  plodding 
mule.  At  the  bridge  of  Pinos,  the  dusty  messenger  overtook  him, 
bearing  the  all-important  message  that  he  was  to  return  at  once  to 
the  united  sovereigns.  Columbus  hesitated,  but  the  assurance  that 
the  queen  was  in  earnest  caused  him  to  turn  and  ride  back,  hope  re 
newed  within  his  breast,  yet  wondering  whether  another  disappoint 
ment  was  not  awaiting  him.  But  Isabella  received  him  graciously, 
assured  him  that  his  terms  were  agreed  to,  and  urged  that  he  should 
lose  no  time  in  sailing  upon  the  expedition,  which  she  was  certain 
would  result  in  so  much  grandeur  and  glory  to  Spain.  The  soul  of 
Columbus  expanded  with  exultant  joy,  and,  in  the  excess  of  his  emo 
tion,  he  promised  to  give  all  the  profits  of  the  enterprise  to  the  re 
covery  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  at  Jerusalem  from  the  unbelievers. 
The  queen  clasped  her  hands  in  ecstasy,  and  asked  the  blessing  of 
Heaven  upon  Columbus  and  his  companions  in  the  enterprise. 

rhc  Con-       Ferdinand,  though  colder-hearted  and  more  calculating,  could  not 
made      withhold  his  consent  to  the  arrangement,  and  the  contract  was  signed 

with  the    by  the  sovereigns  at  Santa  Fe,  April  I7th,  1492.     Some  days  later, 
reigns,     the  commission  of  Columbus  as  admiral  and  viceroy  was  signed  in 
1402^'    *ke  city  of  Granada.     By  the  terms  of  the  agreement,  these  honors 
were  made  hereditary  in  his  family,  and  the  right  of  prefixing  the 
title  of  Don  was  given  to  his  heirs.     In  the  following  month,  Diego, 
the  son  of  Columbus,  was  made  page  to  Prince  John,  son  of  the  rul 
ing  monarch  and  his  consort.     With  a  feeling  as  if  the  burden  of  a 
score  of  years  had  been  lifted  from  his  shoulders,  Columbus  bade  his 
sovereigns  adieu,  and  rode  back  to  La  Rabida,  where  he  was  welcomed 
by  the  now  exulting  Father  Marchena  and  his  equally  happy  friends. 
Now,  as  the  great  discoverer  nears  the  era  of  his  life,  one  that  was 


FROM  CONTEMPORARY  PAINTING 


V 


CHRISTOPHER    COLUMBUS 


44 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  in 


FKRIOO  I 
DISCOVERY 

AMD  Ex- 

FI.ORATION 

1000 

TO 
1590 


Personal 
appear 
ance  of 
Colum 
bus 


to  make  his  name  immortal,  it  is  interesting  to  learn  something  of 
his  personal  appearance.  The  most  trustworthy  account  is  that  of  Mr. 
Clements  R.  Markham,  C.B.,  the  English  geographer.  This  gentle 
man  has  brought  to  light  the  only  portrait  of  Columbus  which  is 
known  to  be  authentic.  He  found  it  in  a  private  house  at  Como, 
where  it  had  been  treasured  ever  since  it  was  placed  there  by  Paulus 
Jovius,  a  contemporary  of  the  great  navigator.  Regarding  the  looks 
of  Columbus,  Mr.  Markham  says  : 

"  We  gather  some  idea  of  the  Admiral's  personal  appearance  from 
the  descriptions  of  Las  Casas  *  and  Oviedo.f  He  was  a  man  of  middle 
height,  with  courteous  manners  and  noble  bearing.  His  face  was 
oval,  with  a  pleasing  expression,  the  nose  aquiline,  the  eyes  blue, 
and  the  complexion  fair  and  inclined  to  ruddiness.  The  hair  was 
red,  though  it  became  gray  soon  after  he  was  thirty.  Only  one  au 
thentic  portrait  of  Columbus  is  known  to  have  been  painted.  The 
Italian  historian,  Paulus  Jovius,  who  was  his  contemporary,  collected 
a  gallery  of  portraits  of  worthies  of  his  time  at  his  villa  on  the  Lake 
of  Como.  Among  them  was  a  portrait  of  the  Admiral.  There  is 
an  early  engraving  from  it,  and  very  indifferent  copies  in  the  Uffizi 
Gallery  at  Florence  and  at  Madrid.  But  until  quite  recently  I  do 
not  think  that  the  original  was  known  to  exist. 

"  It,  however,  never  left  the  family,  and  when  the  last  Giovio  died 
it  was  inherited  by  her  grandson,  the  Nobile  de  Greche,  who  is  the 
present  possessor.  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  see  it  when  I  was  at 
Como,  and  also  to  obtain  a  photograph  of  it.  Here  we  have  the 
head  of  a  venerable  man,  with  thin  gray  hair,  the  forehead  high,  the 
eyes  pensive  and  rather  melancholy.  It  was  thus  that  he  doubtless 
.appeared  during  the  period  that  he  was  in  Spain  after  his  return  in 
chains  or  during  the  last  years  of  his  life." 

*Bartolome  de  Las  Casas  (&.  1474,  d.  1566),  a  Spanish  ecclesiastic  and  bishop  of 
Chiapa,  Mexico.  Tradition  speaks  of  him  as  a  companion  of  Columbus,  on  his 
first  voyage  to  the  New  World,  and  as  having  been  with  Velasquez  in  Cuba,  where  he 
witnessed  the  Spanish  conquest  of  that  island,  in  1511.  He  is  known  to  have  travelled 
extensively  in  the  West  Indies,  Mexico,  and  Central  America,  and  to  have  warmly  es 
poused  the  cause  of  the  Indians  against  the  cruelties  of  the  Spanish  colonists.  He 
repeatedly  appealed  to  the  Spanish  Court  on  their  behalf,  and  also  besought  aid  for 
them  from  Charles  V.  of  Germany.  His  works,  which  chiefly  relate  to  Spanish  outrages 
on  the  Indians,  are  of  considerable  historic  importance.  See  Sir  Arthur  Helps's  "  Life  of 
Las  Casas,  the  Apostle  of  the  Indians,"  and  his  "  Spanish  Conquests  in  America." 

fOviedo  y  Valdes  (b.  1478,  d.  1557).  See  the  Appendix  to  Washington  Irving'* 
*'  Life  and  Voyages  of  Columbus  "  for  notices  of  both  Las  Casas  and  Oviedo. 


CHAPTER    IV 
THE    VOYAGES  OF  COLUMBUS 

[Authorities  :  Chiefly  those  quoted  at  the  head  of  the  preceding  chapter,  with  Hig- 
ginson's  "  Explorers  of  America,"  and  Sir  Arthur  Helps's  "  Life  of  Columbus."  To  the 
general  histories  may  also  be  added  Bryant  and  Gay's  "  History  of  the  United  States," 
and  Lossing's  *'  Popular  Cyclopaedia  of  United  States  History."] 

IACKED  by  the  authority  of  his  sovereigns,  Co 
lumbus  went  to  Palos  and  made  known  the  royal 
order  that  three  caravels,  or  small  three-masted 
vessels,  should  be  made  ready,  and  with  their  crews 
be  placed  at  his  disposal.  The  people  of  the  place 
were  also  ordered  to  furnish  all  needed  supplies  at 
just  prices.  When  it  became  known  for  what  pur 
pose  this  command  had  been  given,  the  sailors  and  their  friends  were 
thrown  into  consternation.  Every  one  believed  in  the  awful  terrors 
of  the  western  Atlantic,  and  were  convinced  that  whoever  ventured 
on  the  mad  voyage  would  never  return.  To  escape  the  dreadful 
fate,  scores  of  sailors  fled  from  the  city,  and  it  looked  for  a  time  as 
if  Columbus  was  to  .meet  his  crowning  disappointment,  when  all  the 
means  that  he  asked  for  had  been  placed  at  his  disposal. 

In  this  crisis,  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  and  his  brother,  Vincent 
Yanez,  known  not  only  for  their  wealth,  but  for  their  skill  as  navi 
gators,  came  forward  and  offered  to  furnish  one  of  the  vessels,  and 
to  go  with  Columbus,  each  as  a  master  of  a  ship.  Moreover,  Martin 
kept  his  pledge  of  advancing  one-eighth  of  the  entire  cost  of  the  ex 
pedition.  The  effect  of  this  timely  offer  brought  success.  Sailors 
volunteered,  and  in  a  short  time  the  needed  number  were  secured  and 
the  three  caravels  were  made  ready  for  sea. 


Colum- 

bus  at 

Palos, 

1493 


4$  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  iv 

PERIOD  i         The  flagship  of  Columbus  was  the  Santa  Mariat  which  was  the 
DISCOVERY   oniy  one  of  the  three  vessels  that  was  decked.     1  he  others  were 
"^000°"    pierced  for  oars,  to  be  used  in  calm  weather,  each  with  a  "  foc'sle 
™        for'ard"  and  a  cabin  in  the  high  stern,  for  the  use  of  the  ship's 
company.     The  Pinta  was   commanded  by  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon, 
while  his  brother,  Francisco  Martin,  acted  as  pilot.     Vincent  Yanez 
Sailing     Pinzon  commanded  the  Nina.     A  royal  notary,  doctor,  and  surgeon 
Expedi-    accompanied  the  expedition,  which  with  the  adventurers,  servants, 
^i^o?    anc*  Rinety  sail°rs>  made  the  whole  number  of  souls  on  board  the 
three  vessels   one  hundred  and  twenty   persons.     The  expedition 
sailed  from  Palos,  August  3d,  1492,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
^a^07"       ^1X  ^ays  'ater'  t^ie  snips  reached  the  Canary  Islands,  where  fresh 
water  and  provisions  were  taken  aboard,  and  the  broken  rudder  of  the 
Pinta  was  repaired.     Learning  that  three  Portuguese  vessels  were 
cruising  outside  to  capture  him,  Columbus  made  haste  to  sail  out  on 
the  unknown  ocean,  knowing  that  his  enemies  would  not  dare  to  fol 
low  him.     Most  of  the  readers  of  this  history  will  no  doubt  have 
seen  the  caravels  presented  to  our  Government  by  the  king  of  Spain, 
just  before  the  Columbian  Exposition,  and  which  were  exact  models 
of  those  used  by  Columbus.     Few  persons  would  care  to  attempt  an 
ocean  voyage  in  even  the  largest  of  them,   and  we  cannot  help  ad 
miring  the  courage  of  Columbus  and  his  men  in  sailing  boldly  out 
on  the  Atlantic,  of  which  all  had  heard  the  most  appalling  stories. 

Had  those  caravels  encountered  such  storms  as  often  sweep  the 

ocean,  they  must  have  gone  to  the  bottom,  but  providentially  they 

were  saved  from  that  fate,  and  few  of  the  expected  terrors  showed 

themselves.     Nevertheless,  the  sailors  were   never  free  from  fear 

from  the  hour  they  left  the  Canary  Islands.     They  grew  sullen  and 

discontented,  and  longed  for  something  to  happen  which  would  cause 

Columbus  to  return  to  Spain,  while  he  had  the  chance  to  do  so.     Per- 

Passing   sons  in  that  apprehensive  state  of  mind  are  certain  to  see  things 

canic ~   which  add  to  their  fears.     It  was  an  alarming  sight  when  the  sky 

Lsland  of  was  \{^  Up  by  the  glare  from  the  volcano  on  Teneriffe  (ten'-er-if") 

(Spanish)  and  they  were  glad  to  leave  it  behind  them. 

One  day  Columbus  received  a  shock.  He  was  continually  looking 
at  the  compass,  whose  needle  by  and  by  began  to  swerve  from  its 
position.  Instead  of  pointing  toward  the  north  star,  he  saw  it  for 
the  first  time  in  his  life  point  to  one  side  of  the  star,  and  this  varia 
tion  increased  as  the  ship  progressed  westward  Columbus  could 


CHAP.  IV 


THE   VOYAGES    OF    COLUMBUS 


47 


not  understand  the  cause  of  this  variation,  which  even  now  is  not 
clearly  comprehended.  He  knew  it  would  add  to  the  terrors  of  the 
sailors,  so  he  prepared  an  explanation.  They  soon  noticed  the  start 
ling  fact  and  made  haste  to  appeal  to  him.  His  reply  was  that  the 
compass  did  not  point  directly  toward  the  north  star,  but  at  a  fixed 
point  near  it,  and  the  seeming  variation  was  caused  by  the  revolution 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  Ex- 

PLORATWMr 

IOOO 

TO 


THE  PEAK  OF  TENERIFFE 


of  the  star  itself.  The  men  had  faith  in  the  learning  of  Colum 
bus,  and  believed  what  he  told  them ;  he  even  believed  it  himself. 

The  sailors,  however,  grew  more  sullen,  and  he  saw  that  trouble 
was  coming.  He  told  them  about  the  wonderful  lands  that  he  was 
certain  they  would  discover,  and  the  glory  and  wealth  that  would 
come  to  them.  He  may  have  roused  their  ambition  and  greed,  but 
he  could  not  drive  away  their  increasing  fears.  They  would  have 
been  only  too  glad  to  turn  their  backs  upon  all  these  rich  prospects 
for  the  sake  of  joining  their  families  and  friends  at  home. 

It  was  a  strange  sight  which  greeted  them  one  day.     The  ocean 


Signs  of 
Mutiny 
among 

the  Crew 


|S  HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  iv 

PERIOD  i  seemed  to  have  changed  into  a  vast,  heaving  island.  This  was 
caused  by  immense  masses  of  seaweed,  so  dense  that  they  retarded 
the  progress  of  the  vessels.  Awed  and  wondering,  they  kept  their 
TO  sails  spread,  however,  and  finally  pushed  their  way  through  what  is 
known  as  the  Sargasso  Sea,*  with  which  nearly  all  navigators  are 
familiar.  Then  a  heron,  and  afterwards  a  tropical  bird,  circled  about 
the  ships  as  if  to  gain  a  closer  view  of  them,  and  sped  away  to  the 
westward.  No  stronger  proof  could  have  been  given  of  the  approach 
to  land,  and  for  a  time  the  sailors  were  soothed ;  but  the  days  passed 
without  the  yearned-for  shore  appearing,  and  they  grew  mutinous 
again.  It  required  promises  of  reward,  with  pleadings  and  threats, 
to  prevent  the  men,  in  a  spirit  of  mutiny,  from  taking  charge  of  the 
caravels  and  turning  about. 

Before  the  expedition  left  Spain,  the  sovereigns  promised  a  pen 
sion  to  the  first  man  who  saw  land.  Just  as  night  was  closing  in, 
Martin  Pinzon,  standing  on  the  Pinta  and  pointing  westward,  roused 
all  by  shouting : 

"  Land !  land !  I  claim  my  reward !" 

All  eyes  were  turned  in  the  direction  indicated  by  him,  and  they 
saw  what  seemed  to  be  a  low,  flat  island  in  the  horizon.  Columbus, 
overcome  with  gratitude,  sank  on  his  knees  and  devoutly  returned 
thanks  to  God  for  His  great  providence.  Few  eyes  that  night  were 
closed  in  slumber,  and  as  the  little  ships  continued  on  their  course, 
the  crews  were  sure  that  the  morning  would  show  them  the  coveted 
land  but  a  few  miles  away. 

But  when  the  sun  rose  behind  them,  the  longing  eyes  failed  to 
discern  the  first  glimpse  of  the  new  country.  That  which  deceived 
them  was  a  low-lying  cloud  that  was  dissipated  by  the  sun's  rays. 
On  every  side  was  nothing  but  the  heaving  ocean  and  the  blue  sky. 
The  sailors  became  more  mutinous  than  before  as  the  days  passed, 
with  the  distance  between  them  and  their  homes  increasing,  and  the 
certainty,  as  they  viewed  it,  of  never  seeing  their  loved  ones  again. 
They  told  Columbus  that  he  must  turn  back  or  they  would  do  so 
themselves.  He  replied  that  the  voyage  was  undertaken  by  the  au 
thority  of  their  sovereigns,  and  he  never  would  return  until  .its  object 
had  been  gained.  Growing  more  rebellious,  they  warned  him  that 

*  Immense  areas  met  with  in  the  North  Atlantic,  extending  from  the  Azores  to  the 
Antilles,  composed  of  floating  seaweed  and  vegetating  plant  life.  The  Gulf  Stream 
keeps  the  seaweed  in  constant  motion. 


120 


A  Map 
Showing  the  Principal 

VOYAGES  OF  DISCOVERY 

to  America 
1492  to  161.1 


Europe  is  shown  as  at  the  accession  of  Charles  V,  151$. 
The  date  of  foundation  given  after  town  names. 
Colonies  and  dependancies  in  1630,  colored  thus- 


CHAP.  IV 


THE'  VOYAGES    OF    COLUMBUS 


49 


they  would  cast  him  into  the  sea,  and  were,  in  truth,  preparing  to 
carry  out  the  dreadful  threat  when  their  hands  were  stayed  by  new 
and  convincing  evidence  of  their  approach  to  land. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  October  I  ith,  a  branch  of  thorn  with  ber 
ries  on  it  drifted  past  one  of  the  vessels,  followed  by  an  oar,  carved 
by  a  human  hand.  These  proofs  were  so  striking,  that  the  men 
ceased  their  murmurs.  Columbus  assured  them  that  within  a  few 
hours  they  would  certainly  see  a  new  country.  He  told  them  to 
keep  a  sharp  watch,  and  he  would  give  to  the  first  man  who  made 
the  discovery  a  fine  doublet  (waistcoat)  of  velvet,  in  addition  to  the 
pension  promised  by  the  sovereigns. 

All  doubt  having  vanished  from  the  minds  of  the  mutineers,  they 
became  meek  and  obedient,  and  eagerly  watched  throughout  the 
night,  anxious  to  obtain  the  double  reward  that  was  now  assured  to 
the  one  with  the  keenest  eyes.  Columbus  resorted  to  the  upper 
deck  of  the  Santa  Maria,  and  spent  hours  in  peering  through  the 
gloom  to  the  westward,  where  he  knew  the  unknown  country  lay, 
and  which  he  was  confident  would  greet  them  with  the  rising  sun. 

It  was  about  ten  o'clock  when  he  thought  that  he  saw  a  light 
gleaming  through  the  darkness.  He  would  have  set  it  down  as  a 
star  in  the  horizon  had  it  not  been  moving  rapidly,  as  if  carried  by 
the  hand  of  a  running  person.  Doubtful  whether  he  saw  aright,  he 
called  to  Pedro  Gutierrez,  a  gentleman  of  the  king's  bedchamber,  and 
asked  him  whether  he  could  see  the  light.  He  answered  that  he  did 
see  it.  Columbus  then  called  a  third  person,  Sanchez,  and  repeated 
the  question.  The  light  had  vanished,  but  it  reappeared  in  a  few 
minutes  and  was  observed  several  times  by  all  three  before  it  finally 
disappeared.  The  gun  was  not  fired,  however,  because  so  many  dis 
appointments  had  occurred.  Suddenly,  before  sunrise,  one  of  the 
little  cannon  on  the  Pinta  flashed  out  in  the  gloom,  and  its  sharp 
report  rang  over  the  waters.  Roderigo  de  Triana  had  caught  the 
dim  outlines  of  land,  about  six  miles  distant.  Justice  would  seem  to 
require  that  the  reward  should  have  been  given  to  him,  but,  to  his 
chagrin,  Columbus  set  up  his  own  claim  and  obtained  it. 

As  the  light  of  morning  overspread  the  ocean,  every  one  on  the 
three  caravels  gazed  upon  the  New  World.  One  of  the  Bahamas  lay 
before  them,  its  wooded  shores  green  with  vegetation  and  gleaming 
with  wild  flowers.  The  soft  winds  wafted  the  perfume  to  the  de 
lighted  sailors,  the  birds  carolled  their  songs,  and  the  nude  natives 

4 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 
1590 


First 

sight  of 

the  New 

World, 

Oct.  12th, 

1492 


50  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  iv 


Were  seen  peeping  out  in  awe  and  wonder  from  behind  the  trees  at 
tneir  strange  visitors.  It  is  now  beJ'eved  that  the  land  first  seen  by 
Columbus  was  what  is  to-day  known  as  Watling  Island. 

What  a  proud  moment  for  the  great  navigator  when  he  donned  his 
gorgeous  uniform,  and,  bearing  the  royal  standard,  stepped  into  one 
of  the  boats  and  was  rowed  ashore !  He  had  solved  the  problem  of 
the  ages  and  earned  a  name  that  shall  never  die.  No  disputations  or 
after-claims  can  ever  rob  him  of  the  glory  or  dim  the  lustre  of  his 
name  in  the  annals  of  human  achievement. 

The  small  boat  in  which  Columbus  put  off  for  shore  was  followed 
by  that  of  the  Pinta,  each  of  which  bore  the  white  silk  banner  of 
the  expedition,  shaped  like  a  pennon  and  emblazoned  with  a  green 
cross,  with  the  letter  F  on  one  side  and  Y  on  the  other,  being  the 
initials  of  Ferdinand  and  Ysabella,  with  a  golden  crown  above. 

Columbus  was  the  first  to  step  ashore,  quickly  followed  by  the 
officers  and  crews.  All  kneeled  down  and  kissed  the  green  earth, 
and  with  overflowing  hearts  chanted  the  Te  Deum  Laudamus* 
Then,  rising  erect,  Columbus  drew  his  sword,  unfurled  the  royal 
standard,  and  took  possession  of  the  land  in  the  name  of  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella.  He  gave  the  name  of  San  Salvador  to  the  island,  and, 
not  doubting  that  it  formed  a  part  of  the  coast  of  India,  he  designated 
the  inhabitants  Indians. 

The  These  people  were  the  most  interesting  objects  upon  which  the 

eyes  of  the  visitors  rested.  Their  copper  skins  were  painted  with  a 
variety  of  colors  and  devices ;  they  had  luxuriant  black  hair,  and  the 
men  were  without  beards.  They  showed  no  signs  of  hostility,  and 
gradually  losing  the  fear  which  first  caused  them  to  flee,  drew  near  and 
were  kindly  treated  Vy  the  white  men,  whom  they  viewed  with  a 
wonder  that  could  not  be  expressed.  The  natives  called  the  island 
Guanahani  (gwah-na-hah'm),  but  the  name  San  Salvador  still  clings 
to  it,  though  the  English  prefer  that  of  Cat  Island. 

The  natives  had  no  bows  or  arrows,  their  only  weapons  being 
spears,  pointed  with  bone  or  flint.  They  showed  but  a  few  golden 
ornaments,  and  when  presented  with  beads,  hawks'  bills,  and  gaudy 
trinkets,  were  so  delighted  that  the  Spaniards  broke  into  laughter  at 

*  The  first  words — "  We  praise  thee,  O  Lord" — of  an  ancient  Christian  hymn  ascribed 
to  St.  Ambrose.  It  forms  part  of  the  daily  matins  of  the  Roman  Catholic  breviary,  and 
is  also  chanted  or  read  in  the  morning  service  of  the  Anglican  Church  and  of  the  Protes 
tant  Episcopal  Church  of  America. 


CHAP.  IV 


THE   VOYAGES   OF   COLUMBUS 


their  antics.  They  were  as  simple  and  artless  as  young  children. 
The  change  from  the  restraint  of  the  ships  was  so  refreshing,  after 
the  six  weeks  of  tossing  upon  the  ocean,  that  the  day  was  spent  in 
wandering  about  the  island,  reclining  in  the  cool  shade  of  the  trees, 
and  amusing  themselves  with  the  Indians. 

On  the  second  morning,  the  visitors  rowed  to  the  northeast  to  ex 
amine  the  island  further.  The  natives  followed  them  along  the 
shore,  and  when  they  found  that  the  white  men  would  not  land, 
many  of  them  sprang  into  the  water  and  swam  out  to  the  boats. 


WRECK  OF  THE      SANTA  MARIA" 

Then  Columbus  hoisted  anchor  and  continued  his  explorations,  visit 
ing  many  of  the  islands  which  abound  in  that  neighborhood.  On  the 
28th  of  October,  he  coasted  along  the  northern  shore  of  Cuba,  and 
saw  the  natives  smoke  tobacco,  in  the  form  of  rude  cigars.  The 
Spaniards  did  not  adopt  the  habit,  which  seemed  to  them  as  un- 
cleanly  as  it  really  is,  even  though  the  tobacco  of  Cuba  is  considered 
perhaps  the  finest  in  the  world. 

The  explorers  treated  the  natives  so  well  that  they  manifested  a 


PERIOD  I 
DISCOVERY 

AND  Ex- 

PLORATIOW 

1000 

TO 
1590 


Other 

Discover* 

ies. 


52  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  iv 

PERIOD  i  strong  liking  for  the  white  men.  So  when  Columbus  invited  ten  of 
IANB°EXRY  tnem  to  8°  back  with  him  and  view  the  wonderful  country  which 
was  his  home,  they  consented  to  do  so.  The  homeward  voyage  was 


begun  in  November,  but  contrary  winds  drove  the  Santa  Maria  back 
to  Cuba.  Captain  Pinzon,  of  the  Pinta,  refused  to  follow,  and  was 
not  seen  again  for  some  days.  The  weather  having  become  more 
favorable,  Columbus  sailed  once  more,  and  soon  came  in  sight  of  the 
lovely  island  of  San  Domingo,  that  is  Hayti  (or  Haiti,  as  our  gov 
ernment  has  decided  that  it  ought  to  be  spelled).  They  found  its 
natural  beauties  so  charming  that  the  navigators  stayed  several  days, 
and  because  of  its  resemblance  to  Spain,  Columbus  gave  it  the  name 
of  Hispaniola  (the  Spanish  form  of  the  ancient  Roman  "  Hispania," 
or  Spain). 

Wreck-  On  Christmas  eve,  however,  while  sailing  along  the  coast  in  search 
•"Santa  of  anchorage,  the  man  at  the  helm  steered  so  badly  that  the  Santa 
Maria  "  Maria  was  driven  on  the  beach  and  wrecked.  The  crew  took  re 
fuge  on  the  Nina,  and  the  natives  eagerly  helped  in  transferring  her 
equipment  to  the  smaller  boat.  Many  of  the  Spaniards  asked  per 
mission  to  remain  on  the  island,  and  Columbus  consented,  for  the 
Nina  was  uncomfortably  crowded,  and  he  was  pleased  at  the  prospect 
of  planting  a  colony  in  the  New  World.  The  Santa  Maria  was 
knocked  apart,  and  from  the  timbers  was  constructed  a  fort,  though 
it  is  hard  to  imagine  what  need  there  could  be  for  a  fort  among  so 
gentle  and  tractable  folk.  Columbus  begged  them  to  live  honest 
Christian  lives,  and  bidding  them  good-by,  sailed  for  home.  This 
was  on  January  i6th,  1493. 

The  men  left  behind,  like  most  of  the  Spaniards  who  attempted 
settlements  in  this  country,  were  cruel  and  lost  to  every  sense  of 
honor.  The  Nina  had  hardly  disappeared  in  the  horizon,  when  the 
forty  colonists  at  La  Navidad,*  as  the  fort  was  called,  began  their 
wickedness.  They  robbed  the  natives  of  their  golden  ornaments, 
beat  them  cruelly,  and  made  slaves  of  them.  No  beasts  of  the  field 
Dcstruc-  were  ever  treated  with  greater  brutality.  The  white  men  roamed 
La  Navi-  through  the  island,  eagerly  hunting  for  gold,  and  robbing  every  na 
tive  who  had  anything  in  his  possession  worth  taking.  They  kept 
up  their  cruelty  until  one  of  the  chiefs  rallied  his  warriors  in  suffi 
cient  numbers  to  overwhelm  the  white  men.  Those  that  had  shown 

*  *•  The  Nativity." 


CHAP.   IV 


THE   VOYAGES    OF    COLUMBUS 


53 


no  mercy  now  received  none.  Every  one  of  the  Spaniards  was  slain, 
and  La  Navidad  was  burned  to  ashes.  Thus  deservedly  perished  the 
first  attempt  at  Spanish  settlement  in  the  New  World. 

Meanwhile  Columbus  was  sailing  homeward,  accompanied  by  the 
Pinta>  which  had  by  this  time  rejoined  him.  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon, 
who  was  jealous  of  Columbus,  refused  to  obey  his  orders  except 
when  it  pleased  him  to  do  so,  and  kidnapped  several  natives,  therefore 
the  admiral  decided  to  make  his  way  home  as  fast  as  he  could,  and 
rid  himself  of  so  undesirable  a  companion. 

The  homeward  voyage  was  marked  by  alternate  calms  and  fierce 
tempests,  which  separated  the  caravels,  whose  crews  did  not  see  each 
other  again  until  after  crossing  the  ocean.  One  of  these  storms  was 
so  violent  and  long-  continued  that  Columbus  believed  both  vessels 
must  be  lost.  That  a  knowledge  of  the  discoveries  he  had  made 
might  be  preserved,  he  placed  a  written  narrative  inside  a  sealed 
cask  and  flung  it  overboard.  What  an  interesting  find  this  cask  and 
its  contents  would  be !  Several  claims  were  made,  many  years  after 
wards,  that  it  had  been  washed  ashore  and  picked  up,  but  investiga- 


RETURN  OF  COLUMBUS 

tion  showed  all  such  claims  to  be  false,  so  that,  had  the  caravels 
foundered,  America  would  have  had  to  be  discovered  anew. 

But  the  tempest  abated,  and  at  daylight,  March  4th,  the  Nina  ap 
peared  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tagus,  in  Portugal,  and  some  hours  later 
dropped  anchor.  Columbus  immediately  sent  a  courier  to  the  sov 
ereigns  of  Spain  at  Seville,  making  known  his  arrival  and  .his  great 


PERIOD  1 

DlSCOVBBY 

AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 
1590 


ArrhraJ 

of  the 

"Nina1 

at  Por 
tugal 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  iv 

discovery.  Another  letter  was  forwarded  to  King  John,  of  Portugal, 
who  was  at  Valparaiso  (val-pa-ri'so).  The  king  sent  an  urgent  in- 
"^00°"  vitation  to  the  admiral  to  visit  him,  and  extended  his  warm  congrat- 
jl0  ulations  upon  his  success.  It  is  hard  to  believe  in  the  sincerity  of 
these  congratulations,  for  the  monarch  must  have  recalled  his  treat 
ment  of  Columbus  and  seen  the  disastrous  consequences  of  his  fail 
ure  to  treat  him  honestly.  The  glory  that  might  have  been  Portu-« 
gal's  was  now  transferred  to  Spain,  and  the  mistake  could  never  be 
corrected.  Columbus  visited  the  king  and  was  treated  with  much 
consideration  and  paid  the  highest  honors. 

On  Friday,  March  I5th,  at  noon,  the  Nina  dropped  anchor  in  the 
Coium°    harbor  of  Palos.      Thus,  by  a  curious  coincidence,   Columbus  left 
bus  at     Spain,  discovered  a  New  World,  and  arrived  home  on  a  Friday,  the 
March     day  which  sailors  regard  with  more  distrust  than  any  other  of  the 
1493  week,  and  it  may  be  added  that,  nearly  two  and  a  half  centuries  later, 
the  immortal  Washington  was  born  on  a  Friday. 

Never  was  the  old  town  of  falos,  and  indeed  all  Spain,  so  stirred 
as  it  was  by  the  return  of  Columbus  and  his  men.  Hardly  any  one 
believed  that  they  would  ever  be  .seen  again  after  their  departure  the 
previous  summer;  but  here  they  were,  brown,  rugged,  and  happy, 
filled  with  a  pride  in  their  own  deeds  and  what  their  illustrious  com 
mander  had  accomplished.  The  people  were  in  a  frenzy  of  joy,  and, 
as  soon  as  the  admiral  could  free  himself  from  the  delighted  throngs, 
he  set  out  for  Seville,  where  he  found  a  letter  from  his  sovereigns 
•asking  him  to  come  at  once  to  the  court  at  Barcelona  (bar-se-ld'-nah). 
Meanwhile,  Martin  Pinzon  entered  the  harbor  of  Palos,  on  the 
Martin3  evening  after  the  arrival  of  the  Nina.  He  had  previously  stopped 
Pinzon  at  BayOnne  (ba-yon'}>  in  France,  and  under  the  belief  that  Columbus 
had  been  lost  at  sea,  he  forwarded  a  letter  to  Ferdinand  and  Isabella, 
with  a  full  account  of  the  discoveries  made,  for  which  he  hoped  to 
reap  the  glory.  It  was  a  bitter  disappointment  when  he  found  that 
Columbus  had  arrived  safely  in  port  a  few  hours  before,  and  was  al 
ready  on  his  way  to  meet  his  sovereigns.  Pinzon  stayed  behind 
until  he  received  a  reply  from  the  king  and  queen,  which  was  filled 
with  reproaches,  and  which  curtly  forbade  him  to  appear  at  court. 
At  this,  he  was  overcome  with  mortification  and  chagrin,  and  died 
a  few  days  later. 

The  letter  placed  in  the  admiral's  hands  at  Seville  was  directed  to 
"  Don  Christopher  Columbus,  our  admiral  of  the  ocean  sea,  viceroy 


CHAP,  iv  THE   VOYAGES    OF    COLUMBUS  55 

and  governor  of  the  islands  discovered  in  the  Indies."  Of  the  ten  PERIOD  i 
Indians  whom  he  brought  from  Cuba,  one  died  at  sea,  and  three  were  DISCOVERY 
left  ill  at  Palos,  so  that  Columbus  took  six  with  him  to  the  Spanish  «-ORATI°M 

IOOO 

court.     It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  honors  shown  to  the  great        TO 
discoverer  when  at  last  he  appeared  before  the   king  and  queen. 
The  military  display;  the  tributes  of  the  loftiest  dignitaries  of  that 
proud,  aristocratic  kingdom ;  the  shouting  thousands  on  the  house-    The  Re- 
tops,  at  the  windows  and  in  the  streets ;  the  strains  of  martial  music;  ofCo/um- 
the  priests,  nobles  and  distinguished  men,  Columbus  on  horseback     ^s?-y 
among  the  hidalgos ;  the  dusky  natives  in  their  gaudy  dresses,  bear-  nand  and 
ing  lofty  plumes  and  tropical  birds  of  gorgeous  plumage ;  the  crews    Isabella 
of  the  vessels,  and  an  almost  numberless  lot  of  curiosities  brought 
from  that  wonderful  New  World — all  these  and  much  more  made  up 
a  scene  of  magnificence,  beauty,  and  impressiveness,  to  which  both 
pen  and  pencil  fail  to  do  justice. 

When  Columbus  presented  himself  before  the  monarchs,  he  sank 
upon  his  knees,  but  the  happy  queen  begged  him  to  rise — a  most  un 
usual  honor.  He  kissed  the  hands  of  the  sovereigns,  and  seating 
himself  among  the  nobles,  told  his  marvellous  story,  to  which  all  lis 
tened  with  breathless  interest.  Not  a  heart  was  unmoved  in  that 
court.  The  eyes  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  overflowed  with  tears, 
and  kneeling  down,  as  did  every  one  present,  the  monarchs  devoutly 
thanked  God  for  His  great  blessings.  When  they  arose,  the  royal 
choir  chanted  the  Te  Deum,  and  all  joined  in  the  song  of  praise. 
Then  the  company  was  dismissed  with  the  apostolic  benediction. 

It  was  at  a  dinner  given  shortly  after,  where  Columbus  occupied  Colum- 
the  seat  of  honor,  that  the  incident  of  the  egg  occurred.  The  great  the  Egg 
attentions  received  by  the  admiral  awoke  the  jealousy  of  the  cour 
tiers.  One  of  them,  with  a  sneer,  asked  Columbus  whether  he  did 
not  think  that  if  he  had  failed  to  discover  the  Indies  (such  being  the 
belief  of  every  one),  it  would  have  been  done  by  others  in  Spain. 
By  way  of  reply,  Columbus  took  an  egg  from  a  dish  before  him,  and 
handing  it  to  the  courtier  asked  him  to  make  it  stand  on  one  end. 
The  courtier  tried  it  in  vain,  and  then  passed  it  to  his  friends.  They 
made  repeated  attempts,  but  without  success,  and  the  egg  came  back 
to  the  hand  of  the  admiral.  Tapping  one  end  on  the  table,  so  as  to 
fracture  the  shell  and  make  a  small  flat  surface,  he  balanced  the  egg 
for  the  guests. 

"Any  one  could  do  that,"  remarked  the  courtier. 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  iv 


PERIOD  I 
DISCOVERY 

AMD  Ex- 

PLOKATION 

1000 

TO 

I59<> 


"  So  any  one  can  discover  the  Indies,  after  I  have  shown  the  way," 
was  the  witty  comment  of  the  admiral. 

Ferdinand  and  Isabella  saw  the  necessity  of  following  up  the  work 
already  done  by  Columbus.  As  news  of  his  discovery  spread  through 
out  Europe  it  awakened  a  profound  interest,  and  other  nations 
wished  to  send  out  expeditions,  for  whichever  was  first  in  finding 
new  lands  would  be  sure  to  own  them.  Portugal  and  Spain  made 
an  agreement,  in  1493,  by  which  Portugal  was  not  to  interfere  with 


kND  THE  EGG 


Maritime 

Nations 

of  the 

Period 


Spain  in  America,  while  Spain  was  not  to  disturb  Portugal  in  Africa 
or  the  East  Indies.  The  only  part,  therefore,  taken  by  Portugal  was 
in  1501,  when  one  of  her  navigators  explored  the  Atlantic  coast  from 
Maine  to  Newfoundland.  The  maritime  nations  in  western  Europe 
at  this  time  were  Spain,  England,  France,  and  Portugal.  Holland 
was  subject  to  Spain,  and  did  not  become  independent  until  the  open 
ing  of  the  seventeenth  century,  so  that  no  step  was  taken  by  her 
until  the  first  English  settlement  had  been  planted  in  Virginia. 
Italy  and  Germany  were  broken  up  into  numerous  weak  states,  Nor- 


CHAP,  iv  THE   VOYAGES    OF   COLUMBUS  57 


way  had  lost  its  prestige,  and  Sweden  was  not  strong  enough  to  enter  PERIOD  i 

into  the  tremendous  contest  for  possessions  in  the  New  World.  DISCOVERY 

r  AND  Ex- 

Columbus  was  as  eager  as  were  his   sovereigns  to  complete  his 


grand  work,  and  he  had  no  trouble  in  fitting  out  an  immense  expe-         T0 
dition,  consisting  of  three  large  ships  and  fourteen  caravels  carrying 
fifteen  hundred  men,  among  whom  were  twelve  missionaries,  filled 

with  a  holy  zeal  for  the  conversion  of  the  heathen,  and  an  abundance     Colum 

bus  sails 
of   animals   and  material  for  colonization.     This  fleet  sailed  from      On  his 

Cadiz,  September  251*1,  1493.  Voyage, 

This  expedition,  which  promised  so  much,  met  nothing  but  failure      Sept. 
and  disaster.     It  seemed  as  if  after  Columbus  had  made  his  great       j^' 
discovery  his  work  was  done,  and   it  would  have  been  well  for  his 
fame  had  he  rested  on   the   laurels  already  won,  and  never  again 
crossed  the  ocean.     The  men  who  now  went  with  him  were  mostly 
adventurers  and  rogues,  whose  one  desire  was  to  gather  the  gold 
which  they  believed  existed  in  untold  quantities  in  America.     Co 
lumbus  was  a  poor  governor,  and  unable  to  control  the  quarrelsome, 
mutinous  horde  under  his  charge,  for  whose  misdoings  he  was  held 
responsible.     He  discovered  a  number  of  islands,  and  received  his 
first  shock  when  he  called  at  La  Navidad  and  found  not  one  of  the 
men  left  there  alive.     Forty  miles  to  the  east  of  Cape   Haytien  a 
fort  was   erected  and  a  settlement  planted,  to  which  he  gave  the 
name  of  Isabella.     He  explored  the  southern  coast  of  Cuba  and  dis 
covered    Jamaica,   which    he    named   Santiago    (sakn-ti-ah'go],   and 
threaded  his  way  through  a  mass  of  islands  which  he   called  the 
Garden  of  the  Queen.     In    the    month  of  June,  1495,  he  sent  five 
ship-loads  of  natives  to  Seville  to  be  sold  as  slaves.     It  was  a  brutal 
act,  without  excuse,  and  the  king  and  queen,  as  soon  as  they  learned 
what  had  been  done,  ordered  the   shocking  traffic  to  be  stopped. 
Finally,  Columbus  returned  to   Spain,  where  he  arrived  June  nth, 
1496.     He  was  full  of  misgiving,  for  he  knew  his  enemies  had  been     Colum- 
busy,  but  to  his  great  relief    his   sovereigns  received  him  kindly.     gUain° 
His  request  to  be  sent  on  a  third  expedition  was  granted,  and  he      June 
sailed  again  with  six  ships,  May  3Oth,  1498.  I49$' 

This  voyage  ranks  next  to  the  first  in  importance,  for  on  the  1st 
of  August  he  saw  for  the  first  time  the  mainland  of  South  America, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Orinoco  River.  He  had  not  the  faintest  sus 
picion  that  the  land  which  he  discovered  was  anything  but  a  series 
of  islands,  to  which  he  gave  various  names.  Anxious  for  the  welfare 


58 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  iv 


PERIOD  i 


rLiooo°N 


Colum- 
Irons 


His 

May' 
2oth, 


of  the  colony  of  Isabella,  he  sailed  thither  and  found  everything 
topsy-turvy.  His  attempts  to  bring  order  out  of  discord  made  mat- 
ters  worse-  His  enemies  became  so  bitter  against  him  that  they  re 
solved  not  to  stop  their  persecutions  until  his  ruin  was  effected.  So 
many  malicious  reports  of  his  conduct  were  sent  to  Spain,  that  the 
sovereigns  sent  Francisco  de  Bobadilla  with  full  authority  to  set 
things  right.  He  deposed  Columbus  from  his  power,  and  sent  him 
to  Spain  in  irons.  The  captain  of  the  ship  was  so  moved  with  pity 
that  he  offered  to  strike  the  irons  from  his  illustrious  prisoner.  But 
Columbus  would  not  permit  it.  He  said  they  had  been  placed  upon 
him  by  order  of  their  majesties,  and  they  alone  had  power  to  remove 
them.  He  added  that  he  would  always  keep  them  as  relics  and 
memorials  of  the  reward  for  his  services. 

Isabella  lost  no  time  in  having  the  irons  taken  off.  She  was  in- 
dignant  at  the  infamous  treatment,  and  she  and  her  husband  ex 
pressed  their  anger  in  unmistakable  terms.  The  welcome  of  Co 
lumbus  at  Granada,  in  December,  1499,  was  warm  and  cordial. 
Although  he  was  much  broken  in  spirit  and  body,  he  entreated  to  be 
sent  upon  a  fourth  expedition,  which  was  granted,  and  he  sailed  with 
four  caravels  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  from  Cadiz,  May  9th, 
1502.  On  this  voyage  he  discovered  the  island  of  Martinique 
(mar-te-neek1),  but  disaster,  sorrow,  and  suffering  met  him  now  at 
every  turn,  and  when  he  returned  to  Seville,  November  7th,  1504,  he 
was  sick,  and  utterly  broken  in  health.  A  few  weeks  later,  the  good 
Queen  Isabella,  his  best  and  truest  friend,  died,  and  he  felt  that  no 
hope  remained  to  him,  for  the  king  was  cold  and  selfish.  He  re 
fused  to  give  Columbus  the  honors  and  rewards  he  and  the  queen 
had  solemnly  bound  themselves  to  give,  and  allowed  him  to  die  in 
utter  poverty.  He  passed  away  at  Valladolid  (val1  la-do-lid1  or 
l&cF),  May  2Oth,  1506,  his  last  words  being:  "O  Lord,  into  Thy 
hands  I  commit  my  spirit." 

The  remains  of  the  great  man  were  placed  in  the  convent  of  San 
Francisco,  where  they  lay  without  stone  or  inscription  for  seven 
years,  when  the  king  from  very  shame  caused  the  bones  to  be  re 
moved  to  Seville,  and  placed  beneath  a  marble  tomb  bearing  the 

inscription  : 

a  geotx 


These  words  mean  :  "  To  Castile  and  Leon,  Columbus  gave  a  New 


6o 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  iv 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
IOOO 

TO 
1590 


Tribute 
paid  by 
Wash 
ington 
Irving 


World," — a  solemn  truth,  but  with  what  neglect  and  injustice  was 
the  great  discoverer  repaid ! 

The  remains  of  his  son,  Diego,  were  afterwards  laid  beside  those 
of.  his  father,  where  they  reposed  until  1536,  when  both  bodies  were 
exhumed  and  removed  to  San  Domingo  and  buried  in  the  cathedral. 
They  were  not  disturbed  again  until  1795-96,  when,  because  of  the 
cession  of  the  island  to  the  French,  they  were  transferred  to  the 
cathedral  of  Havana.  Late  investigations  give  good  ground  for  the 
belief  that  only  the  remains  of  the  son  were  taken  from  Hispaniola, 
and  that,  therefore,  the  ashes  of  Columbus  rest  where  they  were 
placed  in  1536. 

Some  years  ago,  a  magnificent  monument  was  erected  to  the  me-m- 
ory  of  Columbus  in  his  native  city  of  Genoa,  where  the  house  in 
which  he  was  born  has  been  fully  identified.  The  tomb  is  forty 
feet  in  height,  and  is  composed  of  the  finest  Carrara  marble.  The 
honors  paid  to  his  memory  in  1893,  by  our  own  country,  upon  the 
celebration  of  the  four-hundredth  anniversary  of  the  discovery  of 
America,  were  greater  than  Columbus  has  ever  received  from  any 
other  nation,  and  formed  a  fitting  crown  to  the  grandeur  and  majesty 
of  his  achievements. 

The  character  of  Columbus  has  been  eloquently  summed  up  by 
Washington  Irving:  "In  him,"  he  says,  "were  singularly  combined 
the  practical  and  the  poetical.  His  mind  had  grasped  all  kinds  of 
knowledge,  whether  procured  by  study  or  observation,  which  bore 
upon  his  theories;  impatient  of  the  scanty  aliment  of  trie  day,  'his 
impetuous  ardor,'  as  has  been  well  observed,  'threw  him  into  the  study 
of  the  fathers  of  the  church,  the  Arabian  Jews,  and  the  ancient 
geographers ;'  while  his  daring,  but  irregular  genius,  bursting  from 
the  limits  of  imperfect  science,  bore  him  to  conclusions  far  beyond 
the  intellectual  vision  of  his  contemporaries.  If  some  of  his  conclu 
sions  were  erronepus,  they  were  at  least  ingenious  and  splendid. 
And  their  error  resulted  from  the  clouds  which  still  hung  over  his 
peculiar  path  of  enterprise.  His  own  discoveries  enlightened  the 
ignorance  of  the  age,  guided  conjecture  to  certainty,  and  dispelled 
that  very  darkness  with  which  he  had  been  obliged  to  struggle.  It 
has  been  said  that  mercenary  views  mingled  with  the  ambition  of 
Columbus,  and  that  his  stipulations  with  the  Spanish  court  were  sel 
fish  and  avaricious.  The  charge  is  inconsiderate  and  unjust.  He 
aimed  at  dignity  and  wealth  in  the  same  lofty  spirit  in  which  he 


CHAP.  IV 


THE   VOYAGES    OF    COLUMBUS 


sought  renown ;  they  were  to  be  part  and  parcel  of  the  achievement,     PERIOD  i 
and  palpable  evidence  of  its  success ;  they  were  to  arise  from  the 
territories  he  should  discover,  and  be  commensurate  in  importance. 
No  condition  could  be  more  just."-" 


PLORATION 

IOOO 

TO 
1590 


*  At  the  sixty-fourth  annual  meeting  of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement 
of  Science,  held  at  Oxford  in  the  summer  of  1894,  a  remarkable  statement  was  made  by 
Mr.  H.  Yule  Oldham,  to  the  effect  that  the  continent  of  America  was  discovered  by  a 
Portuguese  navigator  forty-five  years  before  Columbus  sighted  the  Bahamas. 

This  statement  of  Mr.  Oldham's  has  been  received  by  geographers  with  some  expres 
sion  of  incredulity.  The  New  York-  Sun  commented  upon  it  with  its  wonted  fairness 
and  intelligence.  The  following  remarks  are  based  chiefly  upon  the  Suns  observations. 

Now,  it  is  well  understood  that  there  are  three  routes  by  which,  in  the  days  of  sailing 
ships,  the  Atlantic  might  most  easily  be  crossed  from  east  to  west.  First,  there  is  the 
northern  route,  followed  by  the  Norsemen,  and  by  John  Cabot,  in  1497,  when  he  dis 
covered  Newfoundland  and  coasted  the  North  American  mainland  for  a  considerable 
distance.  The  central  route  had  its  natural  starting-point  at  the  Canary  Islands,  whence 
vessels,  their  prows  turned  westward,  received  the  steady  and  powerful  propulsion  of  the 
northeast  trade  winds.  This  was  the  course  taken  by  Columbus,  and  by  most  of  the 
other  mariners  in  the  Spanish  service.  The  third  or  southern  route,  however,  was  the 
shortest  and  easiest.  To  render  it  available,  it  was  only  necessary,  in  the  southward 
progress  of  discovery,  to  reach  Cape  Verde,  from  which  point  the  united  action  of  trade 
winds  and  ocean  currents  would  strongly  impel  a  vessel  toward  Cape  St.  Roque,  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  Brazil.  This  actually  happened  in  1500,  when  the  Portuguese 
navigator,  (Sdbral,  while  on  his  way  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  was,  when  in  the  latitude 
of  Cape  Verde,  driven  westward  by  a  tempest,  and  not  only  discovered  the  mouth  of  the 
Amazon,  but  skirted  along  a  part  of  the  Brazilian  coast. 

What  Mr.  Oldham  attempts  to  prove  is  that  this  inevitable  outcome  of  Portuguese 
navigation  along  the  west  coast  of  Africa  was  realized  many  years  before  Cabral's  dis 
covery  of  Brazil.  Cape  Verde,  he  reminds  us,  was  first  made  known  by  a  Portuguese 
expedition  sent  out  by  Prince  Henry,  the  Navigator,  in  1445,  and  during  the  years  im 
mediately  following  many  vessels  were  despatched  from  Portugal  on  further  explorations 
in  the  same  direction.  One  of  these  vessels,  Mr.  Oldham  claims,  reached  the  coast  of 
brazil  as  early  as  1447.  In  Antonio  Galvano's  work  on  "The  Discoveries  of  the 
World,"  published  in  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  a  Portuguese  ship  is  stated  to 
have  been  driven  westward  in  1447  by  a  great  tempest,  and  borne  to  an  island  from  which 
gold  was  brought  home. 

This  statement,  if  unsubstantiated,  could  not  be  accepted  ;  but  it  has  been  corrobo 
rated  by  a  manuscript  map,  preserved  at  Milan,  dated  1448,  and  drawn  by  the  well- 
known  cartographer,  Andrea  Bianco,  of  Venice.  In  addition  to  the  Portuguese  dis 
coveries  on  the  African  mainland,  this  map  shows,  southwest  of  Cape  Verde,  a  long 
coast  line  with  the  designation  "  Authentic  Island,"  and  an  inscription  to  the  effect  that 
it  stretched  fifteen  hundred  miles  westward.  This  map  was  made  in  London,  and  Mr. 
Oldham  assumes  that  it  contained  information  obtained  from  Portugal  about  the  voyage 
recorded  by  Galvano.  Opposed  to  this  view,  it  has  been  urged  that  the  reported  ex 
istence  of  gold  in  the  direction  named  would  have  impelled  Prince  Henry  to  renewed 
adventures  in  the  west;  but  the  unquestioned  incident  of  Cabral  proves  that  such  an 
occurrence  was  certain  to  take  place,  sooner  or  later;  and  it  cannot  be  said,  therefore, 
that  the  story  told  by  Galvano  is  improbable. 


Claim  to 
the  Dis 
covery  of 

South 
America 
by  Portu 
guese, 
1447. 


Early 
Rival 
Mari 
time 
Nations 


CHAPTER    V 
THE  SPANISH  EXPLORERS   IN  AMERICA 

[Authorities  :  For  the  general  reader,  and  by  way  of  introduction  to  Spanish  explora 
tion  in  the  New  World,  Prescott's  "  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  "  should  be  consulted,  with  Sir 
Arthur  Helps'  "Spanish  Conquest  in  America,"  and  Robert  MacKenzie's  "America" 
(Chapter  on  Spanish  America).  The  authorities  on  early  Mexican  and  Peruvian  civili 
zation,  of  a  popular  character,  are  still  Prescott's  "  Conquest  of  Mexico"  and  "Con 
quest  of  Peru,"  with  Hale's  "  Story  of  Mexico"  (in  "  Story  of  the  Nations  Series"). 
For  special  narratives  of  individual  explorers,  see  the  Lives  of  Cortez,  Pizarro,  Balboa, 
Ponce  de  Leon,  De  Soto,  and  Narvaez.  Vogel's  "  Century  of  Discovery,"  Higginson's 
"Explorers  of  the  New  World,"  also  Murray's  "  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America."] 

| HE  great  discovery  of  Columbus  caused  a  profound 
excitement  throughout  the  then  civilized  world. 
The  leading  maritime  nations  of  Europe  at  that 
time  were  Portugal,  Spain,  England,  and  France. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  when  Columbus  became 
'discouraged  over  his  repeated  failures  to  enlist  the 
interest  of  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  rulers,  he 
sent  his  brother  Bartholomew  to  seek  the  aid  of  Henry  the  Seventh, 
of  England.  Bartholomew,  for  several  reasons,  was  slow  in  making 
his  application  to  the  British  monarch,  who  responded  at  once,  how 
ever,  on  being  approached  on  the  subject.  He  sent  Bartholomew 
to  Spain  to  bring  his  brother  to  England,  but  on  the  way  thither  he 
learned  of  the  wonderful  discovery  made  by  Christopher,  and  of  his 
return  to  the  country  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella. 

King  Henry  was  deeply  disappointed,  for  the  grandest  of  all  op 
portunities  had  slipped  irrevocably  from  his  grasp,  but  he  quickly 
saw  that  if  he  could  not  be  the  first  at  the  feast,  he  might  share  with 
others  in  the  distribution  of  the  good  things  to  follow.  When  John 


CHAP,  v       SPANISH    EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


SEBASTIAN   CABOT 


Cabot,  a  famous  Italian  navigator  living  at  Bristol  in  1496,  asked 
permission  for  himself  and  his  sons  to  explore  the  New  World,  it  was 
readily  granted,  and  Cabot,  accompanied  by  his  son,  Sebastian,  sailed 
from  England  in  the  following  year,  and  saw  the  continent  of 
America,  in  June,  1497.  It  was  this  fact  which  gave  England  a 
well-founded  claim  to  the  American  continent. 

Sebastian  Cabot  was  a  greater  navigator  than  his  father.  King 
Henry  fitted  out  two  small  vessels  for  him,  in  1498,  and  in  May  he 
sailed  for  the  northern  coast  of  America. 
The  particulars  of  this  remarkable  voyage 
are  not  known,  but  there  is  little  doubt 
that  the  younger  Cabot  coasted  along  New 
England,  New  York,  and  as  far  south  as 
Cape  Hatteras.  He,  like  those  who  pre 
ceded  him  and  many  that  followed,  was 
bitten  with  the  chimerical  notion  of  dis 
covering  a  short  route  to  India,  which,  of 
course,  he  failed  to  find.  He  discovered 
Newfoundland  and  the  coast  of  Labrador,  and  did  not  fail  to  note 
the  immense  number  of  codfish  which  then,  as  now,  frequented  those 
northern  waters.  Finding  his  provisions  running  short  when  off 
the  Carolinas,  Cabot  returned  to  England.  His  failure  to  discover 
the  elusive  northwestern  passage,  or  to  bring  back  any  gold,  was  a 
disappointment  to  the  British  monarch,  and,  for  a  long  time,  England 
took  no  further  interest  in  the  New  World. 

It  seems  strange  that,  while  every  one  concedes  that  Christopher 
Columbus  was  the  real  discoverer  of  America,  it  was  named  in  honor 
of  another  person  who  had  only  a  qualified  claim  to  such  distinction. 
Amerigo  Vespucci  (ah-ma-rce'go  ves-poot'chee)  was  a  Florentine,  born 
about  the  year  1451.  His  business  in  Seville  was  the  furnishing  of 
supplies  for  ships,  and  fitting  them  out  for  exploring  and  mercantile 
expeditions.  The  achievements  of  Columbus  stirred  the  ambition  of 
Vespucci  to  become  a  great  discoverer,  and  by  some  it  is  thought 
that  he  was  not  the  one  to  hesitate  at  the  means  by  which  to  gain  such 
a  reputation.  He  cultivated  the  friendship  of  Columbus,  who  fully 
trusted  him,  and  in  May,  1499,  Vespucci  accompanied  the  expedition 
of  De  Ojeda  (O-ha!-daK),  which  consisted  of  four  ships.  They  saw 
the  coast  of  South  America,  and  visited  Trinidad,  which  Columbus 
had  named  the  preceding  year.  They  kidnapped  a  number  of 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 
TO 
1590 


The 
Cabots, 
1497  and 

1498 


Amerigo 
Vespucci 


64  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  v 


PERIOD  i    natives  in  the  Antilles,  took  them  to   Spain,  and  sold  them  into 

DISCOVER-! 
AND  EX- 


DISCOVERY   slavery. 


Vespucci,  who  seems  to  have  been  an  astronomer,  wrote  a  long 
T0        account  of  his  discoveries,  and  declared  that  he  sailed  on  his  voyage 
in  1497.     If  this  be  true,  he  would  seem  to  have  antedated  the  dis 
coveries  both  of  Columbus  and  Cabot,  but  though,  especially  in  late 

years,  a  number  of  historians  have  ex 
pressed  the  belief  that  Vespucci  was  en 
titled  to  all  that  he  claimed,  investigation 
does  not  clear  up  the  doubt.  It  is  insisted 
that  he  had  made  other  important  voyages, 
of  which  no  record  exists,  and,  after  Co 
lumbus  had  died,  his  narratives  were  pub 
lished  in  the  German  province  of  Lorraine, 
name  ^  l^P^  The  name  of  America  applied  to  the  new 

"Amer-  AMERIGO  VESPUCCI  country  would  appear   to    have  been  the 

it  came    work  of  early  map-makers;   and   a  learned  German  teacher,  Wald- 
AppHed    seemuller,  was,  it  is  thought,  instrumental  in  affixing  the  name  Amer 
ica  as  applied  to  the  New  World. 

Spain,  having  gained  the  glory  of  discovering  a  New  World,  was 
not  the  nation  to  let  slip  any  advantage  within  her  grasp. '  Possessed, 
herself,  of  a  mild  climate,  it  was  natural  that  she  should  give  her 
attention  to  the  southern  or  warmer  portions  of  the  continent  her 
sons  had  discovered,  leaving  other  nations  to  wrangle  over  the  colder 
and  less  inviting  sections.  Hence  her  continued  conquests  and  dis 
coveries  in  the  regions  south  of  the  Equator. 

A  halo  of  romance  lingers  around  the  name  of  Ponce  de  Leon 
1512  (pon'thd-da-ld-dn').  He  was  a  noted  Spanish  soldier,  a  companion 
of  Columbus  on  his  second  voyage,  and  belonged  to  an  ancient  and 
noble  family.  Although  his  locks  bore  the  frost  of  many  winters, 
and  his  shoulders  were  bending'under  the  weight  of  years,  his  eye 
was  bright,  and  the  ambition  of  youth  burned  in  his  veins.  A 
strange  story  came  to  his  ears  from  the  Indians  in  Southern  America, 
who  told  of  crystal  fountains  and  streams,  and  of  a  miraculous  spring, 
whose  waters  brought  back  youth  and  vigor  to  all  who  bathed  in  or 
partook  of  them. 

The  old  cavalier  was  thrilled  by  this  marvellous  story.  He  thought 
of  it  by  day  and  dreamed  of  it  by  night;  His  face  was  wrinkled,  his 
muscles,  hardened  to  iron  in  valiant  conflict  against  the  Moors,  were 


**ssm** 


FROM   THE  ORIGINAL   DRAWING   BY  J.    STEEPLE  DAVIS 
SEARCH  FOR  THE  FOUNTAIN  OF  YOUTH 


66 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  v 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 
1590 


Discov 
ery  of 
Florida, 
Easter, 
1513 


losing  their  strength,  his  white  locks  were  growing  thin,  and  the 
passing  years  were  pressing  heavily  upon  him.  Ah,  if  he  could  but 
find  the  Fountain  of  Youth  !  He  resolved  to  go  in  search  of  it. 

So,  early  in  the  spring  of  1513,  De  Leon  sailed  from  Porto  Rico 
for  the  Bahamas,  in  quest  of  the  wonderful  fountain.  He  was 
wealthy  enough  to  bear  the  whole  expense  of  the  expedition,  for  what 
sum  will  not  age  give  to  regain  the  fresh  beauty  and  activities  of 
youth  ?  Reaching  the  Bahamas,  the  old  cavalier  and  his  men  visited  the 
islands,  one  after  the  other,  drinking  from  lake,  stream,  pond,  spring, 
and  rivulet,  until  compelled  to  admit  that  the  Fountain  of  Youth 
must  be  sought  for  elsewhere.  The  ships  sailed  towards  the  north 
west.  By  and  by  the  gentle  breezes  brought  with  them  the  fra 
grance  of  flowers,  and  the  hearts  of  the  adventurers  thrilled  once 
more  with  hope.  Far  off,  over  •  the  gently  heaving  sea,  the  soft 
wooded  shores,  aflame  with  brilliant  color,  rose  to  view.  The  per- 
fume  of  the  magnolia  was  rendered  delicate  by  the  ocean's  balmy 
breezes,  and  the  land  seemed  a  veritable  Paradise. 

"  Here  is  the  wonderful  country !  Here  surely  is  the  Fountain  01 
Youth  !"  exclaimed  the  delighted  De  Leon,  as  he  sprang  ashore  from 
the  little  boat  and  seemed  already  to  feel  the  revivifying  life  in  his 
veins.  It  was  Easter  morning,  and  the  landing  was  made  near  the 
present  city  of  St.  Augustine.  Religious  ceremonies  were  held  in 
commemoration  of  the  sacred  day,  and  possession  of  the  supposed 
island  was  taken  in  the  name  of  the  Castilian  sovereign. 

The  happy  discoverer  gave  the  name  cf  Florida  to  the  new  coun 
try,  some  say  because  he  first  saw  it  on  Palm  Sunday  (Pascita  Flo 
rida,  Spanish  for  "  flowery  Easter"),  while  others  claim  that  it  was  on 
account  of  its  florid  and  blooming  appearance.  De  Leon  and  his 
men  prosecuted  their  search  for  the  magical  Fountain,  but  the  sad 
truth  soon  forced  itself  upon  them  that  the  story  was  a  myth.  He 
cruised  among  the  neighboring  islands,  and  named  them  Tortugas, 
because  of  their  abundance  of  turtles.  Finally,  he  went  back  to  Porto 
Rico,  older  and  wiser  than  when  he  set  out  in  search  of  the  fabled 
spring.  Although  he  had  not  found  it,  he  had  gained  fame  as  the 
discoverer  of  one  of  the  most  interesting  portions  of  America. 

The  old  soldier  now  returned  to  Spain  with  an  account  of  what  he 
had  seen.  The  king  granted  his  request,  and  made  him  governor  of 
Florida,  on  condition  that  he  should  plant  a  colony  there.  De  Leon 
waited  several  years,  during  which  the  fact  was  established  that 


CHAF,  v       SPANISH    EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


Florida  is  not  an  island,  but  a  part  of  the  mainland.  Finally,  in 
1521,  he  sailed  from  Porto  Rico  with  two  ships,  and  landed  again  in 
Florida,  near  where  he  had  set  foot  eight  years  before.  But  the  na 
tives  by  this  time  had  learned  of  the  evil  disposition  of  the  white  men, 
and  so  they  gathered  on  the  shore  to  dispute  the  landing  of  the 
Spaniards.  A  brisk  battle  followed,  in  which  several  of  the  white 
men  were  killed  and  others  wounded.  Among  the  latter  was  De 
Leon  himself,  who  was 
so  deeply  pierced  by  an 
Indian  arrow  that  he  was 
taken  to  Cuba,  where  he 
died. 

It  was  at  this  time  that 
the  Spaniards  in  Haiti 
became  interested  in  the 
southern  section  of  our 
country,  on  account  of  the 
reports  brought  to  them 
by  those  who  had  visited 
it  and  made  partial  ex 
plorations.  They  said 
that  gold  abounded,  and 
that  the  sturdy  natives 
were  the  best  of  slaves. 
A  company  was  formed 
in  Haiti,  at  the  head  of 
which  was  Lucas  Vasquez 
D' Ally  on  (da  I -y  one'},  a 

wealthy  colonist.  An  expedition,  consisting  of  two  ships,  left  Haiti 
in  1520,  and  landed  on  the  coast  of  South  Carolina.  The  simple- 
minded  natives  treated  these  visitors  with  hospitality,  and  the  Span 
iards  showed  them  the  utmost  kindness,  until  their  suspicion  was 
lulled.  Then,  having  enticed  a  number  on  board,  they  held  them 
prisoners  and  sailed  away.  Many  of  the  kidnapped  natives  were  so 
heartbroken  that  they  refused  to  eat  or  drink,  and  ere  long  died, 
while  one  of  the  vessels  foundered  at  sea,  and  all  on  board  were  lost. 
D'Allyon  carried  the  remaining  natives  to  Haiti,  where  they  were 
made  slaves  and  subjected  to  the  greatest  cruelty. 

D'Allyon,  like  nearly  all  of  the  early  Spanish  discoverers  and  ex- 


FATAL  WOUNDING  OF  DE   LEON 


PERIOD  I 
DISCOVER* 

AND   Ex- 
PLORATIO  « 

1000 

TO 
1590 


De 

Leon's 
Second 
Landing 

in 

Florida, 
1521 


D'All- 

yon's 

Exped> 

non, 

1520 


68 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  v 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AMD  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 
1590 


Vasco 

Nunez  de 

Balboa, 

1501 


plorers,  was  a  curse  to  the  country.  He  deserved  the  sharpest  pun 
ishment  for  his  perfidy ;  but  the  sovereign  of  Spain  appointed  him 
ruler  of  the  Carolina  country,  with  authority  to  plant  a  colony  there. 
The  natives  seemed  to  have  forgotten  his  baseness,  and  he  began 
a  settlement  near  the  present  site  of  Beaufort,  South  Carolina. 

The  colony  was  hardly  established  when  a  delegation  of  Indians 
waited  upon  D'Allyon,  and  invited  the  Spaniards  to  join  them  in  a 
feast,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river.  The  invitation  was  accepted  by 

two  hundred,  who  were 
treated  with  the  greatest 
hospitality  during  the  feast 
ing,  which  lasted  for  three 
days  and  nights.  At  last, 
the  surfeited  Spaniards  lay 
down  and  slept,  and  while 
they  did  so  the  Indians  fell 
upon  and  massacred  them 
all.  Then  they  rushed  to 
where  the  others  were  build 
ing  their  houses,  and  attack 
ed  them  with  the  utmost 
fury.  Many  were  killed,  but 
a  few  escaped  to  the  ships. 
Among  them  was  D'All 
yon,  who  was,  however, 
mortally  wounded.  The 
crime  of  the  cruel  white 
men  was  avenged,  and  the  first  Europeans  who  attempted  to  settle 
within  our  present  domain  were  blotted  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa  was  a  young  Spanish  adventurer  of  noble 
family,  but  so  impoverished  that,  in  1501,  he  crossed  the  ocean  to 
the  West  Indies  in  the  hope  of  repairing  his  fortunes.  He  met  with 
only  partial  success  in  Haiti,  or  Hispaniola,  and  once  more  fell  into 
debt.  In  those  days  a  person's  creditors  could  put  him  in  prison  for 
his  misfortune,  and  keep  him  there  until  he  or  his  friends  paid  his 
indebtedness.  Balboa  had  no  intention  of  suffering  this  indignity,  and 
he  hit  upon  an  ingenious  scheme  to  escape  from  it.  He  caused  himself 
to  be  nailed  up  in  a  large  barrel,  among  some  others  containing  provi 
sions,  and  was  taken  on  board  a  vessel  without  the  captain  or  any  of 


THE  STOWAWAY 


CHAP,  v       SPANISH    EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


the  crew  suspecting  the  ruse.  When  the  vessel  was  fairly  at  sea, 
Balboa  broke  out  of  his  prison  and  presented  himself  before  the 
captain,  who  was  so  angered  because  of  the  deception  that  he 
threatened  to  leave  the  young  man  on  the  first  uninhabited  island 
they  sighted.  Balboa,,  however,  succeeded  in  winning  the  good-will 
of  the  chief  officer,  who  did  not  carry  out  his  threat. 

The  vessel,  after  many  mishaps,  landed  its  officers  and  crew  at  a 
village  on  the  banks  of  a  river,  which  the  natives  called  Darien. 
Quarrels  arose  among  the  Spaniards,  and  the  plotting  Balboa  suc 
ceeded  in  placing  himself  at  their  head.  Soon  after,  he  heard  ac 
counts  of  an  immense  ocean  to  the  westward,  where  gold  was  as 
abundant  as  pebbles  on  the  seashore.  Balboa  was  fired  with  the 
ambition  to  make  the  great  discovery,  and  to  gather  the  enormous 
reported  wealth,  which  no  white  man  had  yet  claimed,  for  none 
knew  of  its  existence. 

Balboa  applied  to  Don  Diego  Columbus  (the  brother  of  Chris 
topher),  in  Hispaniola,  for  men  and  supplies  with  which  to  cross 
the  isthmus,  for  he  was  told  that  he  would  have  to  fight  his  way  to 
the  shores  of  the  great  sea.  He  left  Darien  with  near'y  two  hun- 
*dred  men,  a  number  of  bloodhounds,  and  several  Indiar  guides.  The 
firearms  of  the  Spaniards  spread  consternation  and  death  among  the 
natives,  who  could  make  only  a  weak  defence  with  their  spears  and 
bows  and  arrows. 

Just  before  noon,  on  the  26th  of  September,  1513,  Balboa  halted 
at  the  base  of  a  rocky  mountain  peak,  and  ordered  his  men  to  hold 
their  places  while  he  ascended  the  promontory  alone.  They  obeyed, 
and  watched  him  as  he  laboriously  climbed  upward.  When  he 
reached  the  highest  point,  they  saw  him  pause  and  stand  like  one 
overcome  with  rapture  and  awe.  Such  indeed  was  the  truth,  for 
Balboa  was  gazing  upon  the  mightiest  ocean .  of  the  globe.  The 
wicked  man  forgot  his  vileness  for  the  time,  and,  sinking  upon  his 
knees,  poured  out  his  soul  in  thankfulness  to  God,  for  the  great  dis 
covery  which  He  had  permitted  him  to  make. 

When  he  was  able  to  master  his  emotion,  he  turned  and  beckoned 
to  his  followers  to  join  him,  and  they  eagerly  did  so.  They,  too, 
were  profoundly  impressed  with  the  grandeur  of  the  discovery, 
and  united  with  him  in  thanks  to  Heaven.  They  promised  to 
stand  by  him  to  the  death  in  his  efforts  to  conquer  the  country  for 
their  king,  and  to  win  wealth  for  themselves.  Balboa  called  the 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
IOOO 

TO 
159° 


Balboa 
at  Da 
rien, 
1510  to 


Discov 
ery  of  the 
Pacific 
Ocean, 
Sept. 

26th, 

1513 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  v 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
IOOO 
TO 

1590 


Death  of 

Balboa, 

1517 


Pam- 
philio  de 
Narvaez 

in 

Florida, 
1528 


vast  body  of  water  the  South  Sea.  It  was  Magellan  (who,  some 
years  later,  sailed  through  the  straits  bearing  his  name,  and  died 
while  trying  to  circumnavigate  the  globe)  who  named  it  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  because  its  waters  are  calmer  than  those  of  the  Atlantic. 

Balboa  took  possession  of  the  sea,  its  coast,  and  all  the  islands,  in 
the  name  of  the  sovereigns  of  Spain,  and  a  paper  to  that  effect  \v  is 
drawn  up  and  signed  by  himself  and  the  sixty-seven  soldiers  who 
had  climbed  the  summit  after  him.  A  tree  was  cut  down  and  made 
into  the  form  of  a  cross,  which  was  planted  in  the  earth  as  a  sacred 
memorial  of  \vlnt  had  been  done.  The  party  now  descended  the 
mountain  and  advanced  to  meet  the  tide,  which  was  flowing  in.  Bal 
boa  entered  the  water  until  it  rose  almost  to  his  waist,  when,  with 
drawn  sword,  he  again  shouted  that  he  took  possession  of  the  seas 
and  islands  in  the  nam  of  the  sovereigns  of  Spain.  Another 
certificate  was  drawn  up  and  signed,  and  then  the  ceremonies  were 
considered  at  an  end. 

Balboa  made  several  voyages  along  the  Pacific  coast,  and  learned 
of  the  rich  kingdom  of  Peru,  which  was  afterwards  conquered  by 
Pizarro,  one  of  the  most  cruel  and  avaricious  of  men.  Nearly  all  oi 
the  early  Spanish  explorers  treated  the  natives  with  revolting  bar 
barity.  A  rival,  named  Davila,  brought  charges  against  Balboa,  and 
beheaded  him  at  Acla,  in  Central  America,  in  1517. 

Pamphilio  de. Narvaez  (nar-vaJi1  etJi)  succeeded  Cortez,  the  crue) 
conqueror  of  Mexico,  and  in  June,  1527,  sailed  with  six  hundred  men 
in  five  vessels,  commissioned  by  his  king  to  conquer  and  rule  Flor 
ida,  where  it  was  believed  that  vast  wealth  awaited  garnering.  He 
remained  for  a  long  time  in  Cuba,  from  which  he  finally  set  out  with 
four  hundred  men  and  nearly  a  hundred  horses.  He  landed  at 
Tampa  Bay,  in  April,  1528,  and  assumed  possession  of  the  country, 
the  terrified  natives  fleeing  before  his  approach. 

One  of  the  strangest  facts  connected  with  the  early,  and,  in  many 
cases,  the  later  history  of  our  country,  is  that  the  men  who  set  foot 
on  our  shores  with  the  purpose  of  reclaiming  the  land  rarely,  if  ever, 
sought  to  win  the  good-will  of  the  Indians  by  treating  them  with 
justice  and  kindness.  We  have  shown  that  Thorwald,  the  Norse 
man,  was  killed  because  of  his  wanton  massacre  of  some  unoffending 
natives;  while  those  who,  five  hundred  years  later,  came  after  him 
were  as  short-sighted  and  savage  as  he.  It  would  be  thought  that 
when  a  party  of  explorers  entered  an  unknown  country,  self-interest 


CHAP,  v       SPANISH    EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


would  lead  them  to  strive  to  gain  the  good-will  of  the  people,  who    PERIOD  I 
were  ready  not  only  to  bring  them  food,  but  had  the  power  to  inflict 
great  injury  upon  them.      Such,  however,  was  not  the  case. 

De  Narvaez  relied  upon  his  weapons  to  conquer  a  country  which 
might  have  been  gained  without  the  shedding  of  a  drop  of  blood. 
When  an  Indian  chief  was  captured,  Narvaez  cut  off  his  nose,  and 
his  Cuban  bloodhounds  were  kept  busy  rending  with  their  fangs  the 


PLORATIOM 

1000 

TO 

1590 


THE  SOLE  SURVIVOR 


Such  barbarities  caused  the  natives  to  look  upon   Spanish 

Inhu- 


hapless  captives. 

the  invaders  as  monsters  whom  they  resolved  to  destroy — a  fate    manity 
which  they  well  deserved.  to™ds 

Ordering  his  ships  to  sail  along  the  coast,  De  Narvaez  advanced  Indians, 
into  th<.  interior,  where,  from  what  he  had  been  told,  he  expected  to 
find  an  Indian  town  as  full  of  gold  and  precious  stones,  and  as  highly 
civilized,  as  those  which  welcomed  Pizarro  in  Peru.  But  the  bitter 
est  of  disappointments  met  him.  In  place  of  gold  and  silver  and 
abundant  food,  they  came  upon  dismal  swamps,  tangled  forests, 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  v 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
IOOO 

TO 
1590 


Suffer 
ings  of 
Nar- 
vaez's 
Expedi 
tion 


Her- 

nando  de 

Soto, 

1539  to 

1542 


smothering  heat,  starvation,  and  the  hostility  of  the  natives,  who 
fired  their  arrows  with  deadly  effect  from  the  surrounding  woods. 
When  it  became  clear  that  destruction  awaited  them  if  they  advanced, 
De  Narvaez  and  his  men  turned  and  retraced  their  footsteps. 

The  return  march  was  dreadful  beyond  description.  They  had  to 
wade  pestilential  morasses,  with  the  slime  up  to  their  shoulders  ;  meet 
ing  venomous  reptiles,  the  hot,  unhealthful  climate,  wire-like  vines, 
brambles  as  sharp  as  needles,  tormenting  insects,  and,  above  all,  the 
ceaseless  attacks  of  the  natives,  who  gave  them  rest  neither  day  nor 
night.  When,  at  last,  the  few  wretched  survivors  reached  the  coast 
and  looked  longingly  out  upon  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  they  saw  nothing 
of  the  wished-for  ships.  But  the  sea  offered  the  only  chance  of  sav 
ing  their  lives,  and,  after  much  difficulty,  they  built  one  or  two  boats, 
in  which  they  placed  a  small  quantity  of  Indian  corn,  and  then  began 
sailing  along  the  coast  in  the  direction  of  the  mouth  of  the  Missis 
sippi.  The  most  frightful  sufferings,  however,  overtook  them,  for 
their  water  and  provisions  gave  out,  and  the  boats  were  scattered  by 
one  of  those  fierce  gales  called  "northers."  De  Narvaez  perished, 
and  but  one  Spaniard  out  of  the  entire  expedition  lived  to  reach 
Spain.  Although  a  captive  for  eight  years  among  the  Indians,  he 
gradually  worked  his  way  across  what  is  now  Texas  to  a  port  on  the 
Gulf  of  California,  where  he  was  befriended  by  his  countrymen.  He 
finally  returned  to  his  home,  like  one  risen  from  the  dead,  and  pub 
lished  an  account  of  his  amazing  adventures. 

Disaster  and  misfortune  could  not  repress  the  Spanish  greed  of 
conquest  and  riches.  The  tales  of  suffering,  failure,  and  death  served 
rather  to  whet  the  appetite  of  the  adventurers,  who  would  not  believe 
that  the  New  World  would  ever  fail  to  yield  to  them  of  its  fabled 
riches  and  overflowing  mineral  wealth. 

One  of  the  men  who  had  helped  Pizarro  to  conquer  Peru  was 
Hernando  de  Soto.  He  returned  to  Spain  wealthy  and  famous,  and, 
when  he  proposed  to  lead  an  expedition  for  the  conquest  of  Florida, 
the  eager  volunteers  were  so  numerous  that  he  had  only  to  select 
those  whom  he  wished  to  accompany  him.  The  sovereign  was  quite 
willing  to  authorize  the  expedition  when  De  Soto  agreed  to  bear  the 
whole  expense.  The  king  made  him  governor  of  Cuba,  and  captain- 
general  of  all  the  provinces  which  he  might  conquer.  The  six  hun 
dred  adventurers  who  flocked  to  the  standard  of  the  elegant  cavalier, 
then  not  forty  years  old,  belonged  to  the  noblest  families  of  Spain. 


DE  SOTO'S  RETURN   TO  SPAIN. 


CHAP,  v       SPANISH    EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


73 


The  expedition  consisted  of  ten  vessels,  seven  of  which  were  of 
large  size.  All  were  in  high  spirits,  and  so  abundantly  supplied 
with  provisons  that  music,  dancing,  and  feasting,  and  an  endless 
round  of  gayety  marked  the  voyage  to  Cuba,  where  De  Soto  spent  a 
year  in  perfecting  his  plans  for  the  conquest  of  Florida.  These  were 
of  the  most  detailed  and  comprehensive  character.  Public  affairs  in 
Cuba  were  left  in  charge  of  his  beautiful  young  wife  and  a  lieuten- 


PERIOD  i 


PLORATION 
T0 


DE  SOTO'S  EXPEDITION 

ant-governor,  while  a  vessel  was  sent  in  advance  to  Florida  to  kidnap 
some  natives  to  serve  as  guides  and  interpreters. 

On  the  30th  of  May,  1 5  39,  the  fleet  of  nine  vessels  and  a  thou-      Eur°' 

.  pean  Per« 

sand  men,  with  swine,  cattle,  mules,  and  horses,  anchored  in  Tampa    fidy  and 

Bay,  in  sight  of  the  spot  where  De  Narvaez,  eleven  years  before,  had 
set  out  on  his  ill-starred  expedition.  The  fateful  lesson  of  that 
venture  was  lost  upon  De  Soto,  who  made  an  attempt  to  capture  the 
natives  almost  as  soon  as  he  set  foot  in  the  country ;  but  the  Indians 
had  not  forgotten  the  perfidy  of  their  former  visitors,  and  kept  them 
selves  beyond  reach.  In  one  of  the  attacks,  a  captive  Spaniard  was 


74 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  v 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 

AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 
1590 


Indian 

Re 
prisals 


De 
Soto's 

Ill- 
starred 
Wander 
ings 


discovered  and  released,  and  proved  to  be  an  invaluable  interpreter 
to  De  Soto. 

The  invaders  were  supplied  with  fire-arms  and  the  best  weapons 
then  known.  Their  heavy  armor  was  invulnerable  to  the  spears  and 
arrows  of  the  natives,  and  the  slaughter  of  the  poor  creatures  became 
a  pastime,  attended  only  by  a  slight  degree  of  danger  to  the  Span 
iards,  who  did  not  neglect  to  take  with  them  a  number  of  fierce 
bloodhounds  from  Cuba.  But  the  Indians  were  desperate,  and  they 
began  fighting  the  invaders,  and  continued  to  fight  them,  contesting 
every  rood  of  the  ground  from  the  hour  they  landed.  Nor  did  they 
omit  to  repay  cruelty  with  cruelty,  for  when  a  prisoner  fell  into  their 
hands  they  meted  out  to  him  the  same  torture  that  was  inflicted  upon 
their  own  unfortunate  comrades. 

The  barbarities  of  the  Spaniards  were  shocking  beyond  belief. 
There  was  no  indignity,  no  cruelty,  no  outrage  which  was  not  per 
petrated  upon  the  hapless  men,  women,  and  children ;  but  the  retali 
ation  of  the  warriors  was  so  unsparing  that  De  Soto  invited  a  pow 
erful  Creek  chief  to  meet  him  for  a  friendly  talk.  The  chief  scorned 
the  invitation,  called  the  white  men  by  their  right  name,  and  gave  them 
warning  that  he  would  never  cease  making  war  upon  them,  as  long 
as  one  of  the  accursed  race  remained  in  the  country.  This  threat 
was  carried  out  to  the  letter,  not  only  by  that  chief,  but  by  his  as 
sociates.  Unable  to  defeat  the  Spaniards  in  open  warfare,  they  re 
sorted  to  ambush  and  stealthy  surprises,  and  killed  scores,  whose  heads 
were  chopped  off  and  carried  on  the  ends  of  poles  to  their  leaders. 

De  Soto  wintered  near  the  present  site  of  Tallahassee,  and  in  early 
spring  marched  northward,  where  he  had  been  told  that  gold 
abounded.  An  Indian  queen,  who  welcomed  him  with  the  gentlest 
hospitality  and  made  him  numerous  presents,  was  made  a  prisoner 
and  held  as  a  hostage  for  the  good  behavior  of  her  people  towards 
the  invaders.  She  succeeded  after  a  time  in  effecting  her  escape, 
and  became  one  of  the  bitterest  enemies  of  the  "  Christians,"  who 
were  a  hundredfold  more  perfidious  than  the  most  treacherous  and 
bloodthirsty  of  her  race. 

It  would  be  tedious  to  give  the  particulars  of  De  Soto's  long  and 
aimless  wanderings  through  the  southwestern  section  of  our  country, 
for  the  same  story  of  outrage  was  daily  repeated.  There  was  bru 
tality  or  treachery  on  the  part  of  the  Spaniards,  and  relentless  en 
mity  on  the  part  of  the  Indians.  The  latter  suffered  much  greater 


CHAP,  v        SPANISH    EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


75 


losses  in  open  combat  because  of  the  inferiority  of  their  weapons ; 
but  they  far  outnumbered  the  white  men,  who  slowly  but  surely 
melted  away  before  their  incessant  attacks. 

The  course  of  De  Soto  has  never  been  traced  with  certainty.  He 
and  his  dwindling  followers  crossed  northern  Georgia  and  northeast 
ern  Alabama,  where  a  terrific  onslaught  was  made  upon  them  by  the 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  Ex- 

PLORATIOM 

1000 
TO 

1590 


DEATH  OF  DE  SOTO 

Mobilian  Indians,  in  which,  though  the  latter  were  defeated,  they 
inflicted  great  loss  upon  the  Spaniards. 

Learning  that  his  ships  were  in  Pensacola  Bay,  doubtless  with  an 
abundance  of  supplies,  De  Soto  determined  to  march  thither.  He 
discovered,  however,  that  a  plot  had  been  formed  to  seize  the  ships 
and  sail  for  Peru,  leaving  him  behind.  The  enraged  leader  then 
faced  the  other  way,  arid,  to  the  dismay  of  his  followers,  the  north 
ward  march  was  resumed  in  November,  1540. 

The  fighting  was  renewed,  and  waged  with  the  same  fury  as  be 
fore.  The  winter,  which  was  a  severe  one,  was  passed  in  the  coun- 


On- 

slaught 
by  the 

Mobilian 
Indians 


76 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  v 


PERIOD  i 


PL°iooo°M 


Missis- 


1541 


D  C^5otcf 
May, 


try  of  the  Chickasaws,  around  the  upper  tributaries  of  the  Yazoo. 
When  about  to  resume  the  march  in  the  spring,  a  furious  engage- 
ment  to°k  place  with  the  Chickasaws,  in  which  the  Spaniards  nar 
rowly  escaped  annihilation.  It  was  a  forlorn,  woe-begone  company 
which  in  April  began  tramping  again  through  the  wilderness,  blindly 
groping  for  the  land  where  De  Soto  had  been  told  he  would  find 
gold  without  stint. 

*n  t^ie  mont^  °^  May,  1541,  the  explorers  reached  the  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  River,  above  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Francis.  That  great 
stream  was  full  to  overflowing,  and  the  men  stood  a  long  time,  actu- 
ated  by  a  feeling  of  awe  and  admiration,  for  they  were  gazing  upon 
one  of  the  mightiest  rivers  of  the  world.  They  were  the  first  Euro 
peans  to  see  that  stream  above  its  mouth,  which  had  been  observed 
as  early  as  1519  by  Alvarez  de  Pineda. 

But  the  famishing  and  weakened  adventurers  were  not  yet  ready 
to  give  up  their  search  for  gold  and  for  the  Pacific  Ocean,  which  they 
believed  was  now  not  far  away.  They  crossed  the  Mississippi,  and, 
it  is  believed,  wandered  to  the  westward,  almost  to  the  eastern  slopes 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  winter  of  1  541-42  was  spent  near  the 
headwaters  of  the  Arkansas,  and  in  the  spring  they  returned  to  the 
Mississippi,  at  a  point  a  short  distance  north  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Arkansas.  There  De  Soto  attempted  to  found  a  colony,  having  at 
last  convinced  himself  that  the  gold  which  he  had  sought  so  long 
had  no  actual  existence.  The  site  selected  was  on  the  eastern  shore, 
in  Bolivar  county,  Mississippi. 

The  intense  hostility  of  the  Indians  could  not  be  overcome,  and 
the  explorer  finally  lost  heart  in  the  enterprise  that  had  been  under 
taken  with  such  high  hopes  and  brilliant  prospects.  His  only  wish 
now  was  to  reach  Cuba,  and  join  his  wife  and  friends  there.  He 
had  been  wounded  severely  in  battle,  and  his  iron  frame  was  weak 
ened  by  suffering  and  disease.  Under  his  direction,  the  construc 
tion  of  two  brigantines  was  begun,  in  which  it  was  intended  to 
float  down  the  Mississippi,  and  cross  the  Gulf  to  Cuba.  The  work 
was  nardly  under  way,  when  the  virulent  fever  which  had  seized  De 
Soto  warned  him  that  death  was  at  hand.  At  his  request,  his  at 
tendants  carried  him  from  his  wretched  hut  and  gently  laid  him  down 
under  the  shade  of  a  leafy  oak.  There  he  called  his  friends  around 
him,  asked  their  forgiveness  for  all  the  harm  he  had  done  them,  urged 
them  to  keep  together,  received  the  administrations  of  the  priests, 


DISCOVERY    OF  THE   MISSISSIPPI. 


CHAP,  v       SPANISH    EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


77 


bade  farewell  to  all,  and  closed  his  eyes  in  death.  His  body  was 
consigned  to  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi,  lest  the  Indians  should, 
wantonly  desecrate  the  grave. 

What  a  sad  ending  of  a  magnificent' enterprise !  The  one  thou 
sand  men,  including  the  flower  of  the  Castilian  chivalry,  armed  from 
head  to  foot,  furnished  with  arms,  ammunition,  supplies,  horses,  and 
everything  that  could  be  needed,  and  animated  by  the  thirst  of  con 
quest  and  glory,  with  the  lure  before  their  eyes  of  untold  riches,  were 
now  reduced  to  three  hundred  emaciated  vagrants,  clothed  in  rags, 
or  the  skins  of  wild  animals.  Unspeakably  depressed  at  the  loss  of 
their  leader,  they  placed  his  body  in  a  rude  coffin,  made  by  partially 
hollowing  out  the  trunk  of  an  oak,  and,  in  the  darkness  of  midnight, 
sank  the  weighted  remains,  as  we  have  said,  to  the  bottom  of  the 
river. 

The  miserable  band,  left  to  themselves,  spent  a  year  in  wandering 
through  the  wilderness  to  the  west  of  the  Mississippi,  hoping  to  find 
the  city  of  Mexico.  Finally,  they  returned  to  the  river  and  launched 
the  brigantines,  in  which  they  floated  down  stream  to  the  Spanish 
settlement  of  Panuco,  on  the  coast  of  Mexico,  where  they  arrived  in 
September.  Thence  they  visited  the  capital  and  were  entertained 
by  the  viceroy.  Havana  was  thrown  into  gloom  by  the  tidings  of  the 
hapless  expedition,  and  the  wife  of  De  Soto,  who  had  waited  so  long 
for  her  husband,  sank  into  a  decline  and  died  of  a  broken  heart.  ^ 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 
I59«> 


Return 
of  the 
Hapless 
Expedi 
tion 


WARRING  NATIONS 


CHAPTER   VI 
THE  FRENCH  EXPLORERS  IN  AMERICA 

\Authorities:  Vol.  II.  Winsor's  "  Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  America;"  the 
standard  U.  S.  Histories  ;  the  chief  Canadian  and  French-  Canadian  histories  of  Kings- 
ford,  Miles,  Charlevoix;  "  Champlain's  Voyages,"  and  Abbe  Ferland's  "Canada."  Pope''s 
monograph  on  "Jacques  Carder,"  and  Machar's  "  Stories  of  New  France,"  are  interest 
ing  works,  and  chiefly  so  are  the  brilliant  narratives  of  Parkman,  "  Pioneers  of  France 
in  the  New  World  "and  "Jesuits  in  North  America  in  the  iyth  Century."  The 
Canadian  histories  may  also  be  referred  to  for  an  account  of  the  attempts  at  founding  a 
Huguenot  colony  in  Acadia,  with  Baird's  "  Huguenot  Emigration  to  America."] 

N  the  foregoing  pages,  the  activity  of  Spain  has 
been  shown  in  pushing  her  explorations  in  Amer 
ica.  These,  it  will  be  remembered,  were  mostly 
confined  to  the  southern  portions,  but  that  nation 
was  not  left  to  press  her  exploring  enterprises 
alone. 

We  have  learned  that  the  other  leading  mari- 
Maritime  time  powers  were  Portugal,  England,  and  France,  to  which  must 
Aundery  a^so  now  ^e  added  Holland.  England  was  tardy  in  moving,  and 
allowed  a  hundred  years  to  roll  by  after  the  discoveries  of  the  Ca- 
bots  before  she  made  any  ser'ous  attempt  at  exploration  or  settle 
ment.  Holland,  after  gaining  her  independence  from  Spain,  pre 
ferred  opening  new  avenues  for  trade,  and  waited  until  she  saw  a 
chance  of  profitable  barter  with  the  natives  before  giving  much  atten 
tion  to  the  New  World.  France,  however,  grew  jealous  of  the  success 
of  Spain,  and  soon  sent  her  navigators  and  explorers  to  spy  out  and 
claim  portions  of  the  land  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

The  first  French  expedition  was  undertaken  in  the  reign  of  Francis 


Francis 


CHAP,  vi      FRENCH    EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


VERRAZZANI 


I.  by  John  Verrazzani  (va-rah-zah'ny},  a  native  of  Italy,  which  coun 
try,  it  will  have  been  seen,  furnished  the  chief  navigators  and  ex 
plorers  connected  with  the  New  World.  Verrazzani  sailed  from  the 
Madeiras  in  January,  1524,  in  command  of  three  ships ;  but  two  were 
disabled  by  a  severe  storm,  and  he  continued  his  voyage  with  only 
one.  Two  months  later,  he  reached  the  American  coast,  along 
which  he  cruised  for  several  months.  A  letter  which  Verrazzani 
wrote  to  his  king  is  relied  upon  by  his 
torians  for  an  account  of  his  discoveries, 
but  the  information  contained  in  that  let 
ter  is  so  vague  that  many  discredit  the 
entire  narrative. 

According  to  Verrazzani's  story,  he  first 
sighted  the  coast  of  North  Carolina  in 
March,  1524.'  He  landed  a  small  company 
of  men  near  Albemarle  Sound,  where  they 
were  treated  hospitably,  and  returned  the 
kindness  by  kidnapping  a  native  child. 
As  a  consequence,  the  Indians  formed  a 
hatred  of  the  whites,  which  showed  itself  more  than  half  a  century 
later,  when  the  English  attempted  to  settle  the  region. 

Verrazzani  seems  to  have  pushed  his  voyage  northward  as  far  as  the 
coast  of  Maine,  touching  at  various  points,  such  as  New  York  and 
Narragansett  Bay,  and  assiduously  seeking  for  the  shorter  passage  to 
India,  which  had  been  sought  by  Columbus  and  the  Cabots.  He  named 
the  country  New  France,  and  returning  home,  vanishes  from  the  pages 
of  history.  There  is  some  reason  for  believing  that  he  made  other 
voyages  to  this  country.  At  any  rate,  to  Verrazzani  must  be  given 
the  credit  of  first  declaring  the  correct  theory  of  the  size  of  the  globe, 
in  opposition  to  that  maintained  by  all  other  navigators  of  his  time. 

France  waited  ten  years  before  showing  any  further  interest  in 
the  New  World.  On  April  2Oth,  1534,  Jacques  Cartier  (kdr'-te-a} 
a  skilful  navigator,  sailed  from  St.  Malo,  in  command  of  two  ships,  of 
sixty  tons  each,  with  a  crew  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  men.  Some 
weeks  later  he  reached  the  coast  of  Newfoundland,  and  sailed 
through  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle  into  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence. 
In  July  of  the  same  year  he  entered  Bay  Chaleur,  and  explored  the 
Gasp£  coast.  This  he  took  possession  of  in  the  name  of  France  and 
set  up  a  rough  wooden  cross  as  a  token  ot  French  sovereignty  over 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 
1590 


Verraz 
zani's 
Voyage, 
1524 


Jacques 
Cartier's 

First 

Visit  to 

Canada, 

1534 


8o 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  vi 


PERIOD  I 


PL°iooo°N 


Cartier's 


tion, 


the  region.  The  shield  which  hung  upon  the  cross  bore  the  lilies  of 
France,  and  a  carved  inscription —  Vive  le  Roi  de  France! — ("  Long 
live  the  King  of  France  !")  The  savage  chief,  who  with  his  followers 
gathered  round  and  curiously  watched  the  ceremonies,  suspected 
the  meaning,  and  gave  Cartier  to  understand  by  signs  that  he  was 
king  there,  and  did  not  intend  that  any  one  else  should  dispute  his 
claim.  The  Frenchman  soothed  him  by  explaining  that  the  cross 
was  intended  to  serve  as  a  beacon  to  mariners. 

Cartier  spent  several  weeks  in  further  explorations,  but  soon  re 
turned  to  France,  where  his  report  so  pleased  the  king  that  he  sent  him 
on  a  second  expedition  in  the  following  spring.  On  this  voyage,  Car- 
tier  had  three  ships,  the  largest  of  which  was  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  tons.  These  entered  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle,  July  26th,  1535. 
His  hope  of  finding  the  shorter  route  to  India  was  overthrown  by 
observing,  as  he  ascended  the  St.  Lawrence,  that  its  width  narrowed 
and  its  waters  became  fresh.  He  gave  the  present  name  to  the 
Gulf,  as  he  had  entered  it  on  St.  Lawrence's  day,  and  the  designa 
tion  was  afterwards  extended  to  the  river. 

The  leisurely  ascent  of  the  stream  continued  until  the  explorers  an 
chored  at  the  Indian  village  of  Stadacona,  near  the  site  of  the  pres 
ent  city  of  Quebec.  There,  at  the  entrance  of  the  St.  Charles  River, 
the  larger  ships  were  left,  and  Cartier  continued  his  ascent  in  his 
smallest  ship.  The  Indians  welcomed  him  with  friendly  greet 
ings.  On  his  first  visit  to  the  St.  Law 
rence,  Cartier  had  taken  two  of  the  natives 
with  him  to  France,  promising  to -bring 
them  back  on  his  second  visit.  He  kept 
his  promise ;  and  they  not  only  had  a  won 
derful  story  to  tell  of  their  experience,  and 
of  what  they  saw,  but  did  good  service  by 
acting  as  interpreters. 

Cartier  and  his  men,  after  ascending  the 
river  to  Hochelaga  (now  Montreal),  re 
turned  to  Stadacona  and  there  spent  the 
winter.  The  season  was  an  unusually  severe  one,  and  occasioned 
much  suffering  to  Cartier  and  his  crews,  many  of  whom  were  at 
tacked  with  the  scurvy.  A  pestilence,  moreover,  appeared  among 
the  Indians  which  affected  the  visitors,  carrying  off  a  number  and 
reducing  the  others  for  a  time  to  helplessness. 


JACQUES  CARTIER 


•rJJWM-^^       1  ,      \  I 


FROM    THE   ORIGINAL    DRAWING    BY   JULES   TURCA* 

CARTIER  TAKES  POSSESSION  OF  THE  QASPE  COAST 


82 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  vi 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 

1000 
TO 

1590 


Return  of 
Cartier 

to 

France, 
1536 


DeRo- 
bervaPs 

Expedi 
tion, 
1541 


In  the  following  spring,  Cartier  returned  to  France,  arriving  at  St. 
Malo,  July  i/th,  1536.  Before  sailing  he  invited  a  number  of  In 
dians  on  board  his  own  ship,  and  treacherously  carried  them  away 
with  him ;  but,  some  years  later,  two  of  them  succeeded  in  reaching 
their  own  country  again.  They  had  seen  and  learned  a  great  deal  of 
the  strange  country  across  the  ocean,  but  formed  a  poor  idea  of  the 
sense  of  right  and  the  dictates  of  honor  which  actuated  the  white  men 
and  professing  Christians. 

The  report  taken  home  by  Cartier  this  time  was  less  favorable 
than  before.  The  climate  was  so  severe  that  the  St.  Lawrence  was 
locked  in  the  grip  of  the  Ice  King  for  several  months  each  year,  and 
nothing  had  been  seen  of  either  gold  or  precious  stones.  France 
was  so  engrossed  in  war  that  four  years  passed  ere  she  gave  her  at 
tention  again  to  the  New  World.  Then  an  expedition  was  placed 
under  the  command  of  M.  de  Roberval,  a  nObleBan  of  Picardy. 
Cartier  received  a  commission  under  him,  for  his  knowledge  of  Can 
ada  was  too  valuable  to  be  lost.  The  expedition  sailed  from  St. 
Malo,  in  the  spring  of  1541,  at  the  time  that  De  Soto  and  his  hap 
less  followers  were  wandering  through  the  wilderness  and  fighting 
the  Indians  in  the  South. 

Cartier  was  displeased  with  the  idea  of  serving  under  Roberval, 
who  had  been  appointed  viceroy  of  Canada.  .  So,  when  five  of  the 
vessels  were  ready,  and  Roberval  did  not  appear,  he  sailed  without 
him,  leaving  him  to  follow  when  he  chose.  In  the  latter  part  of 
August  the  ships  arrived  at  Stadacona  (Quebec).  The  Indians 
showed  so  much  sullenness,  because  of  the  treachery  of  Cartier  on  his 
former  visit,  that  he  went  further  up  the  river,  and  chose  a  station 
for  his  ships  at  Cap  Rouge ;  but  the  natives  continued  resentful,  and 
the  following  summer  Cartier  sailed  once  more  for  France. 

Entering  the  harbor  of  St.  John's  on  his  homeward  voyage,  he  found 
Roberval  there  on  his  way  to  join  the  colony  on  the  St.  Lawrence. 
Cartier  told  his  superior  officer  that  the  natives  were  so  hostile  that 
he  dared  not  remain ;  the  soil  was  not  fertile ;  there  were  no  dia 
monds  ;  the  winters  were  frightfully  severe,  and  he  advised  Roberval 
to  give  up  his  project.  But  the  leader  believed  that  Cartier  was  moved 
by  jealousy  and  wished  to  claim  all  the  glory  won  thus  far  for  himself. 
He  asserted  that  he  would  ascend  the  St.  Lawrence,  and,  if  neces 
sary,  conquer  the  Indians,  and  ordered  Cartier  to  accompany  him 
with  his  ships.  That  night  was  dark  and  without  a  moon.  By  an 


CHAP,  vi      FRENCH    EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


«3 


AND  Ex- 


understanding  with  the  captains  of  the  other  vessels,  they  slipped     PERIOD  I 

out  undetected  and  made  their  way  back  to  France,  where  Cartier 

J 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  retirement. 

Although  he  was  deserted  by  most  of  his  men,  Roberval  did  not 
give  up  the  erranjl  which  had  brought  him  across  the  ocean.  He 
learned,  however,  that  Cartier  had  told  the  truth.  The  Indians  were 
hostile,  and  there  was  little  in  the  climate  or  soil  to  tempt  white  men 


IOOO 


ROBERVAL  AND  CARTIER  IN  THE  CABIN  OF  THE  VICEROY'S  SHIP 

to  live  in  that  part  of  the  country.  He  made  an  effort  to  plant  a  set 
tlement  some  distance  above  the  site  of  Quebec,  and  built  a  fort  there. 

One  of  the  Canadian  winters  was  enough  for  him.  The  following 
year  all  returned  to  France,  and  it  was  a  long  time  before  that  coun 
try  made  the  next  serious  effort  to  plant  a  colony  in  America.  Then, 
mindful  of  the  failures  in  Canada,  attention  was  turned  to  the  south 
ern  and  more  hospitable  portions  of  the  continent,  where  the  Span 
iards  were  striving  to  gain  a  permanent  foothold. 

Those  of  our  readers  who  have  studied  the  history  of  Europe  need 
not  be  told  that,  at  the  time  these  incidents  were  taking  place,  there 


Failurt 
of  the 
Attempt 
at  Colo 
nization, 


84  HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  vi 

PERIOD  i  were  fierce  religious  wars  going  on  in  Europe.  Luther  and  Melanc- 
DISCOVERY  thon  led  a  revolt  in  Germany  against  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  an- 
PLORATION  other  revolt  followed  in  Switzerland.  The  strife  between  the  Prot- 

IOOO 

TO        estants  and  Roman  Catholics   became  bitter  and  prolonged.     The 
Reformation,  as  it  was  called,  made  slight  progress  in  France,  from 
The       which  John  Calvin,  the  leading  reformer,  was  banished.     He  found 
et?onia~  snelter,  however,  in  Geneva,  Switzerland,  where  he  died  in  1564. 

The  French  Protestants  were  called  Huguenots,  and  among  the 
principal  leaders  left  after  the  banishment  of  Calvin  was  Lord  Ad 
miral  Coligny.     He  was  a  brave  and  honorable  man,  respected  by 
all  parties,  and  he  persuaded  the  queen  to  try  to  reconcile  the  oppos 
ing  factions.     The  effort  was  a  failure,  and  the  persecutions  which 
followed  became  so  fierce  that  Coligny  determined  to  find  a  refuge 
for  the  Huguenots  in  America.     While  doing  this,  the  brave  ad 
miral  was  anxious  to  add  to  the  glory  of  his  beloved  France. 
Ribault's       In  the  month  of  February,  1562,  Coligny  sent  out  two  ships  from 
tkSTto"    Havre,  in  charge  of  Captain  John  Ribault  (ree'-bo],  a  skilful  and  ex- 
Florida,    perienced  sailor,  who,  in  addition  to  his  trained  crews,  took  a  number 
of  friends,  led  by  curiosity  and  love  of  adventure  to  visit  the  strange 
new  lands  beyond  the  sea. 

Coasting  southward,  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Mary 
River,  which  now  separates  Florida  from  Georgia,  up  which  they 
sailed.  The  Indians  treated  them  with  hospitality.  The  soft  winds, 
the  fragrant  flowers  and  blossoms,  the  climbing  vines,  the  wealth 
of  vegetation,  the  feathered  songsters,  the  birds  with  brilliant 
plumage,  the  mulberry  trees,  and  the  wild  people  with  handsome 
figures  and  pleasing  faces— all  these  made  it  seem  to  the  voyagers 
that  they  had  entered  a  Ian  J  of  enchantment.  The  devout  and  thank 
ful  Ribault  wrote :  "  It  is  a  thing  unspeakable  to  consider  the  things 
that  be  here,  and  shall  be  found  more  and  more  in  this  incompar 
able  land,  which,  never  yet  broken  with  plough-irons,  bringeth  forth 
,  all  things  according  to  its  first  nature,  wherewith  the  eternal  God 
endowed  it." 

As  was  usual  under  such  circumstances,  the  Frenchmen  took  pos 
session  of  the  country  in  the  name  of  their  king,  after  returning 
thanks  to  God  for  His  great  mercies.  Thus  far  they  had  every  rea 
son  to  be  pleased  with  the  result  of  their  enterprise ;  for  not  only 
were  the  climate  and  soil  favorable,  and  the  natives  friendly,  but 
they  saw  that  which  was  fascinating  above  everything  else  in  their 


CHAP,  vi      FRENCH    EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


eyes — an  abundance  of  golden,  silver,  and  copper  ornaments  owned  PERIOD  I 
by  the  dusky  people.  Ribault  and  his  friends  believed  they  had  ^'J^0;^ 
found  that  which  others  had  so  long  sought  in  vain. 

The  Huguenots  soon  embarked  and  sailed  northward,  inspecting 
the  numerous  islands  and  inlets  which  they  saw,  until  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  month  they  dropped  anchor  in  the  fine  harbor  of  Port 
Royal.  After  examining  the  surrounding  country,  Ribault  was  con 
vinced  that  no  more  favorable  spot  could  be  found  for  a  settlement. 


1000 

TO 
I5QO 


A  HOPELESS  VOYAGE 


When  he  made  known  his  decision  to  his  men  they  were  delighted, 
and  every  one  was  eager  to  remain.  Reminding  them  that  he  was 
hardly  able  to  manage  the  ship  alone,  he  placed  thirty  of  the  ablest- 
bodied  of  them  in  charge  of  Captain  Albert  De  la  Pierra,  advised  them 
wisely,  and  then  set  sail  for  France. 

This  attempt  at  settlement  was  made  on  a  small  island  in  Archer's 
Creek,  a  few  miles  from  the  present  town  of  Beaufort,  South  Caro 
lina.  The  men  were  eager  and  ardent,  and  full  of  schemes  for  en 
hancing  the  glory  of  France  and  bettering  their  own  personal  for 
tunes.  A  fort  had  been  erected  by  Ribault,  who  sailed,  however, 


Settle 
ment 
founded 
by  Ri 
bault 
near 
Beau 
fort, 
1562 


86 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  vi 


PERIOD  I 
DISCOVERY 

4ND  Ex- 

FLORATION 

1000 

TO 
1590 


Mutiny 
at  Fort 
Charles 


Settle 
ment  at 
Saint 
John's 
Bluff, 
Florida, 
1564 


before  it  was  quite  finished.  It  was  named  Fort  Charles  (Caro/us, 
in  Latin),  and  was  soon  put  in  excellent  condition.  That  done,  a  sad 
change  came  over  the  colonists.  The  sight  of  the  gold  had  aroused 
their  cupidity  and  fanned  their  dreams  of  great  wealth.  They  be 
lieved  that  from  the  surrounding  natives  they  could  obtain  immense 
riches,  and  with  little  effort  on  their  part.  What  a  waste  of  time, 
therefore,  to  clear  the  land  and  plant  crops  !  They  decided  not  to  do 
so.  Besides,  Ribault  had  promised  to  send  them  provisions  and  sup 
plies,  and  they  were  sure  that  there  was  no  need  of  tilling  the  soil. 

It  has  been  well  said  that  an  idle  mind  is  the  devil's  workshop. 
The  leader  became  so  incensed  with  his  mutinous  men  that  he 
hanged  one  of  them,  and  took  such  severe  measures  that  they  killed 
him,  and  appointed  one  of  their  number,  named  Barre,  in  his  place. 
By  this  time  they  were  in  a  woeful  condition.  The  expected 
aid  from  Ribault  did  not  arrive,  and  since  they  had  neglected  to 
plant  crops,  starvation  lay  before  them.  They  became  desperately 
homesick,  and  determined  to  make  an  attempt  to  reach  France. 
With  the  help  of  the  Indians  they  put  together  an  amateurish  craft, 
not  fit  to  be  used  in  navigating  a  millpond,  and  in  it  embarked  upon 
a  voyage  of  three  thousand  miles  over  the  tempestuous  Atlantic. 
The  inevitable  ensued.  Storms  and  calms  delayed  the  vessel  until 
their  scant  provisions  gave  out.  Several  died  of  hunger,  while  others, 
in  their  frenzy  from  drinking  salt  water,  leaped  into  the  sea  and  were 
drowned.  When  they  had  drawn  lots  and  eaten  one  of  their  number, 
an  English  vessel  appeared,  which  landed  the  feeblest  in  France  and 
took  the  others  prisoners  to  England. 

The  failure  of  Ribault  to  return  to  the  colony  was  occasioned  by 
the  civil  war,  then  raging  in  France.  As  soon  as  Admiral  Coligny 
was  able  to  do  so  (April,  1564),  he  sent  out  three  ships,  under 
Captain  Rene  de  Laudonniere  (lo-dode-air1),  whose  purpose  was  to 
plant  a  settlement  in  the  southern  part  of  the  country,  from  which 
so  many  favorable  reports  had  been  received. 

The  ships  arrived  in  the  St.  John's  River,  Florida,  in  June,  and 
anchored  where  those  of  Ribault  had  been  moored.  The  Indians, 
as  before,  were  friendly,  and  seemed  to  be  happy  at  the  prospect 
of  having  the  white  men  for  neighbors.  Laudonniere  selected  the 
spot  known  as  St.  John's  Bluff,  where  he  began  building  a  fort,  in 
which  labor  the  Indians  cheerfully  aided  the  Frenchmen. 

The  sight  of  the  gold  ornaments  in  the  possession  of  the  natives, 


CHAP,  vi      FRENCH    EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


and  their  stories  of  the  abundance  of  the  precious  metal  and  price-     PERIOD  i 
less  stones,  a  short  distance  in  the  interior,  soon  wrought  mischief 
among  the  colonists.'    Each  was  so  eager  to  go  in  search  of  riches 

on  his  own  account,  that  it  was  only  by  threats,  and  other  severe 

. 
measures,  that  the  captain  was  able  to  restrain  his  men.     By  and  by 

it  was  evident  that  the  Indians  had  deceived  them  with  the  stories  of 
fabulous  wealth  not  far  away.     They  were  naturally  angered  when 


THE  SENTINEL 


they  learned  the  truth,  and  began  plotting  among  themselves. 
A  number  of  them  seized  two  small  vessels,  turned  pirates,  and 
sailed  for  the  West  Indies.  Laudonniere,  on  learning  of  the  deser 
tions,  set  to  work  and  constructed  two  larger  vessels  with  which  to 
pursue  and  capture  them.  When  the  boats  were  finished  Laudon 
niere  was  compelled  to  give  the  builders  a  commission,  and  they 
too  turned  buccaneers. 

Matters  went  from  bad  to  worse,  until  the  arrival  of    Sir  John 
Hawkins  from  England,  with  several  ships,  one  of  which  Laudonniere 


General 
Bucca 
neering, 


88 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  vi 


PERIOD  I 
DISCOVERY 

AND    EX- 

M,0  RATION 

1000 

TO 
159° 


Menen 
dez  and 

his 

Spanish 
Squad 
ron 


proposed  to  buy,  intending  to  take  the  whole  colony  back  to  France. 
At  this  crisis,  Ribault  arrived,  with  a  squadron  of  seven  vessels. 
This  occurred  in  the  latter  part  of  August,  1565,  and  a  few  days 
later  five  other  ships  were  seen  coming  in  from  the  sea.  After  being 
hailed  several  times,  an  alarming  reply  came  from  one  of  the  vessels. 

The  squadron  was  under  the  command  of  Pedro  Menendez  (ma- 
nen'deth),  of  Spain,  with  a  commission  to  destroy  all  the  Lutheran 
French  that  had  dared  to  settle  on  soil  claimed  by  his  country. 

The  situation  of  the  French  was  most  unfortunate.  Three  of 
their  ships  were  a  number  of  miles  up  the  river,  and  knew  nothing  of 
their  danger.  The  other  four  were  so  weak  that  they  hurriedly  put 
to  sea  and  escaped.  The  Spaniards  entered  the  River  of  Dolphins, 
a  number  of  miles  southward,  and  landed  an  armed  force.  The 
French  ships  hastened  back  to  the  St.  John's  and  told  Ribault  of  the 
evident  intention  of  their  enemies.  Ribault  decided  to  attack  the 
force  that  had  been  landed  with  his  combined  fleet  and  all  his  men. 
Laudonniere  opposed  the  plan,  as  too  dangerous,  but  the  impetuous 
Ribault  was  not  to  be  restrained,  and  persisted  in  his  purpose. 
When  their  vessels  were  ready  to  assail  the  Spaniards  at  the  River 
of  Dolphins  a  furious  storm  scattered  them. 

Knowing  the  helpless  condition  in  which  the  fort  had  been  left, 
the  savage  Menendez  made  hasty  preparations  to  march  against  it. 
It  was  no  holiday  excursion  upon  which  the  Spaniards  entered,  for  the 
rain  was  falling  in  torrents,  the  darkness  was  intense,  the  woods  and 
swamps  were  flooded,  and  the  weather  had  become  unusually  chilly. 
The  march  was  a  long  one,  and  so  laborious  and  trying  that  it  would 
seem  that  all  the  men  must  have  'perished  had  they  not  been  sus 
tained  by  their  fierce  hatred  of  the  Lutheran  French. 

The  storm  continued  without  cessation  day  and  night.  The  gar 
rison  in  the  fort  did  not  think  it  possible  that  the  most  fanatical 
enmity  could  lead  any  foe  to  attack  them  at  such  a  time.  A  single 
sentinel  was  on  duty,  and  he  was  not  alert.  He  had  gathered  his 
heavy  cloak  about  him,  so  as  to  shelter  his  firelock,  and  paced  dis 
mally  back  and  forth  in  his  saturated  garments,  longing  for  the 
moment  when  the  welcome  relief  should  come. 

Suddenly  from  the  gloom  a  dozen  figures  leaped  forward,  and,  seiz 
ing  the  guard,  put  him  to  death  before  he  could  make  an  outcry. 
Taken  by  surprise,  the  French  were  unable  to  make  any  defence. 
No  mercy  was  shown  to  man,  woman,  or  child.  One  hundred  and 


CHAP,  vi      FRENCH    EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


89 


forty-two  were  massacred,  while  the  Spaniards  did  not  lose  a  man. 
Some  of  the  garrison,  leaping  from  their  beds,  managed  to  dash  into 
the  woods,  where  they  crouched  and  shivered,  or  fled  through  the  dark 
ness  and  storm.  The  wretched  fugitives  were  pursued  and  most  of 
them  captured  and  hanged  on  the  limbs  of  trees,  and  over  the  head 
of  each,  Menendez  caused  the  inscription  to  be  nailed :  "  I  do  this, 
not  as  to  Frenchmen,  but  as  to  Lutherans." 

Among  the  few   who  escaped   was  Laudonniere.     He   hid  in  a 


A  JUST  PUNISHMENT 

swamp  until  his  peril  became  less  imminent,  when  he  and  a  com 
panion  stole  out  to  the  vessels  which  Ribault  had  left  behind  and 
then  sailed  for  France. 

A  cruel  fate  seemed  for  the  time  to  be  on  the  side  of  the  merciless 
Menendez.  Learning  from  the  Indians  that  the  Frenchmen  who  had 
set  out  to  attack  him  at  the  mouth  of  the  River  of  Dolphins  were 
shipwrecked  on  Anastasia  Island,  he  marched  thither  with  a  force 
not  half  so  numerous  as  the  French.  He  made  them  believe,  how 
ever,  that  he  had  so  many  men  that  they  were  at  his  mercy.  When 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 
1590 


Mas 
sacre  of 

the 

French 
by  the 
Span 
iards, 
Sept., 


90  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  v 

PERIOD  i     they  begged  for  quarter  he  promised  it,  and  they  surrendered.     The 
-DISCOVERY    next  step  of  the  miscreant  was  to  select  the  Catholics  and  a  few  of 

AND  EX 
PLORATION    the  more  useful  workmen,  who  were  reprieved.     The  others  he  ordered 

•«>        instantly  to  be  shot. 
1590 
—  Meanwhile,  Ribault's  vessels  were  wrecked  on  the  Florida  coast, 

but  all  his  men  fortunately  escaped,  and  he  led  them  through  the 
forest  to  Fort  Charles,  unaware  of  its  fall.  When  he  found  himself 
confronted  by  Menendez,  the  latter,  as  in  the  former  case,  made  him 
believe  that  the  Spanish  force  was  overwhelmingly  the  superior,  and 
Ribault  agreed  to  surrender.  Two  hundred  of  his  men,  however, 
knew  too  well  the  value  of  the  leader's  pledge,  and  they  marched  off 
to  the  southward,  preferring  to  die  in  the  woods  rather  than  trust  to 
the  honor  of  a  Spaniard. 

The  prisoners,  among  whom  was  Ribault,  were  shot  down  like 
dogs.  When  the  Frenchmen  who  finally  escaped  reached  their 
country  the  news  of  the  outrages  caused  intense  indignation.  The 
relatives  of  the  murdered  colonists,  joined  by  Admiral  Coligny, 
appealed  to  their  sovereign  for  redress,  but  no  notice  was  taken  of 
the  prayer,  nor  was  even  a  remonstrance  sent  to  the  Spanish  court. 
'Retalia-  But  if  the  government  was  so  base,  there  was  one  among  its  sub 
sDeGour-  jects  whose  soul  burned  with  uncontrollable  resentment.  He  wa? 
gues,  {he  Chevalier  Dominique  de  Gourgues  (da  Goorg),  of  Gascony,  a 
devout  Roman  Catholic,  who,  when  made  a  prisoner  by  the  Spaniards, 
some  years  before,  had 'been  condemned  to  the  humiliation  of  the 
galleys.  He  was  so  enraged  on  learning  of  the  sufferings  of  his 
countrymen,  that  he  fitted  out  an  expedition  at  his  own  expense, 
selling  all  his  property  to  gain  the  necessary  means.  His  expedition 
consisted  of  three  small  vessels,  a  hundred  soldiers,  and  eighty  sailors. 
The  project  was  kept  a  secret,  so  as  to  prevent  any  warning  being 
sent  to  the  Spaniards.  When  he  sailed,  it  was  given  out  that  the 
destination  was  the  coast  of  Africa,  and  few  suspected  the  truth. 

In  the  spring  of  1568,  the  French  squadron  entered  the  mouth  of 
a  small  river  to  the  north  of  the  St.  John's.  The  trumpeter  had 
served  under  Laudonniere,  and  when  he  went  ashore,  he  was  de 
lighted  to  find  that  the  leading  chief  was  an  old  friend  of  Laudon 
niere,  and  had  with  him  at  that  time  as  a  companion  a  French  sol 
dier  who  had  escaped  the  massacre.  The  chief  invited  De  Gourgues 
to  visit  him,  and  he  did  so,  the  soldier  acting  as  interpreter. 

The  Indian  leader  expressed  the  most  intense  hatred  of  the  Span- 


CHAP,  vi      FRENCH    EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


iards,  who,  he  said,  had  used  his  people  with  savage  cruelty,  because 
of  their  kindness  to  the  suffering  Frenchmen.  When  De  Gourgues 
asked  the  chief  if  he  would  join  him  in  punishing  the  bad  men,  he 
and  his  warriors  showed  vehement  eagerness  to  do  so.  An  alliance 
was  formed,  and  the  necessary  preparations  were  quickly  made. 
The  work  was  carried  out  with  grim  thoroughness  and  dispatch. 
The  hundreds  of  Indians  who  joined  the  French  were  so  eager  for 
the  fray  that  it  was  impossible  to  restrain  them.  The  surprised 
Spaniards  could  offer  no  effectual  resistance,  and  were  compelled  to 
act  the  part  of  the  unfortunate  Huguenots,  who  trusted  to  their 
pledges  three  years  before.  The  defenders  were  shot  down  without 
mercy,  and  the  few  that  were  for  the  time  spared  were  hanged  under 
the  very  trees  where  the  French  had  perished  in  a  similar  manner, 
and  over  their  heads  De  Gourgues  caused  to  be  placed  the  following 
inscription  : 

"  I  do  this  not  as  unto  Spaniards  and  Maranes  (Moors),  but  as  unto 
traitors,  robbers,  and  murderers." 

Menendez  was  at  St.  Augustine,  and  knowing  that  he  was  too 
weak  to  encounter  him,  De  Gourgues  sailed  for  France,  first  utterly 
destroying,  with  the  help  of  the  Indians,  the  forts  on  the  St.  John's. 
St.  Augustine  was  founded  in  1565,  and  it  will  always  be  memor 
able  from  the  fact  that  it  was  the  first  permanent  European  settle 
ment  planted  within  the  present  limits  of  the  United  States. 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 
1590 


Found 
ing  of  St. 

Augus 
tine, 
1565 


OLD  GATE  OF  ST.  AUGUSTINE 


Frobish- 


i576 


CHAPTER   VII 
THE  ENGLISH  EXPLORERS  IN  AMERICA 

[Authorities:  England's  part  in  exploratory  adventure  in  the  New  World  had  its 
heroic  period  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  when  her  annals  are  made  brilliant  with  the 
achievements  of  her  great  seamen,  Frobisher,  Davis,  Drake,  Humphrey  Gilbert,  and  his 
kinsman,  Sir  Walter  Raleigh.  How  the  period  glows  with  the  newly  awakened  maritime 
spirit  may  be  seen  by  the  perusal  of  such  works  as  Froude's  "  English  Seamen  of  the 
i6th  Century,"  Markham's  "Sea  Fathers,"  Low's  "Maritime  Discovery,"  Bourne's 
"English  Seamen,"  and  Hakluyt's  "Early  Voyages,"  and  other  publications  of  the 
Hakluyt  Society.  Creighton's  "  Age  of  Elizabeth,"  in  Epochs  of  Modern  History 
Series,  and  Hind's  "England  of  Elizabeth,"  may  also  b^  profitably  consulted.  The 
story  of  English  colonization  in  America  will  be  best  gathered  from  Doyle's  "  English 
Colonies  in  America,"  Thwaite's  "  The  Colonies,"  Fisher's  "Colonial  Era,"  and  the 
local  histories  of  Newfoundla-.u,  Canada,  New  England,  and  Virginia.] 

|E  AN  WHILE,  England  had  been  stirred  to  activity 
by  the  work  of  both  Spain  and  France  in  America. 
It  might  naturally  be  supposed  that  that  great  na 
tion  would  take  pride  in  what  was  done  by  the 
Cabots,  who  were  the  real  discoverers  of  the  con 
tinent  of  North  America;  but  those  navigators 
had  set  out  to  find  a  northwest  passage  to  India, 
and  failing  to  do  so,  their  enterprise,  for  a  long  time,  was  not  looked 
upon  as  possessing  much  merit. 

Now,  however,  England  saw  that  she  must  bestir  herself,  to  pre 
vent  the  grand  prizes  from  slipping  from  her  grasp.  She  was  not 
yet  ready  to  give  up  the  belief  that  the  coveted  northwest  route  ex 
isted  and  could  be  found,  and  so  in  June,  1576,  Martin  Frobisher 
sailed  with  three  small  vessels  in  search  of  the  passage.  He  sighted 
Greenland,  coasted  along  Labrador,  and  entered  the  inlet  north  of 


CHAP,  vii     ENGLISH    EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


93 


MARTIN   FROBISHER 


Hudson  Bay,  which  ever  since  has  borne 
his  name.     He  made  a  second  voyage  in 

1577,  and  a  third  in  1578,  but  his  discov 
eries  were  of  little  value,  since  the  region 
he  visited  is  too  cold  and  inhospitable  ever 
to  become  the  abode  of  civilized  men. 

Francis  Drake,  at  that  time,  was  engaged 
in  circumnavigating  the  globe.  He  sailed 
from  Plymouth  in  the  latter  part  of  1577, 
with  a  squadron  of  five  vessels,  his  principal 
object  being  to  chastise  the  Spaniards  at 
whose  hands  he  had  himself  suffered  much. 

The  voyages  of  Sir  Francis  Drake  are  among  the  most  glorious  in 
the  annals  of  England.*  He  passed  down  the  eastern  coast  of  South 
America,  and  sailed  through  the  Straits  of  Magellan  in  September, 

1578.  Ascending  the  Pacific  coast,  he  plundered  the  Spanish  set 
tlements  in  Chile  and  Peru,  and  loaded  his  fleet  with  gold  and  silver 
captured  from  the  ships  of  the  enemy.     He  took  possession  of  Califor 
nia  in  the  name  of  his  sovereign,  calling  it  New  Albion,  and  then,  feel 
ing  that  his  important  work  was  finished,  sailed  for  home. 

His  squadron,  with  which  he  had  done  so  much,  was  too  weak  to 
meet  the  fleets  that  he  knew  were  searching  for  him,  so  he  sought  a 
passage  around  the  northern  coast  of  America.  The  ice  speedily, 
however,  drove  him  back,  and  he  crossed  the  Pacific  and  the  Indian 
Oceans,  doubled  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  dropped  anchor  at  Ply 
mouth  in  September,  1580.  It  was  because  of  this  remarkable  voy 
age  that  Queen  Elizabeth  conferred  the  honor  of  knighthood  upon 
Drake.  But  the  achievements  of  this  great  navigator  were  by  no 
means  completed.  He  threw  all  his  energies  into  the  war  against 
Spain,  which  he  hated  with  an  unspeakable  hatred.  Before  a  year 
had  passed,  he  captured  and  destroyed  Carthagena  in  South  America, 
besides  a  number  of  other  towns  in  the  vicinity ;  burned  Forts  St. 
Augustine  and  Antonio ;  plundered  many  other  places  in  the  West 
Indies,  and  took  home  a  perishing  English  colony  from  Roanoke 

*  This  great  naval  hero  was  vice-admiral,  under  Lord  Howard,  of  the  English  fleet 
that  repulsed  the  Spanish  Armada.  Perhaps  his  most  daring  enterprise  was  his  expedi 
tion,  in  1587,  to  Lisbon,  where,  having  learned  of  a  Spanish  fleet  lying  in  the  Bay  of 
Cadiz  destined  to  form  part  of  the  Armada,  he  courageously  entered  the  port  and  burnt 
upwards  of  10,000  tons  of  shipping — a  feat  which  he  jocosely  termed  "  singeing  the  King 
of  Spain's  beard."  Drake  was  born  in  1530  and  died  in  1505. 


PERIOD  I 


Sir 

Francis 
Drake's 
Expedi 
tion, 

1577  t* 
1580 


94 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  vn 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  Ex- 

WORATION 
IOOO 

TO 
1590 

Sir  Hum 
phrey 
Gilbert's 

Expedi 
tion, 
1583 


SIR  HUMPHREY  GILBERT 


Island  in   1585.     He  performed  many  other  exploits,  and  won  great 
renown  for  himself  and  England. 

Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert  was  the  half-brother  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,* 
and  both  were  favorites  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  Gilbert  was  a  famous 
soldier,  of  noble  mind  and  purpose,  and  belonged  to  one  of  the  most 

eminent  families  in  England.  When, 
therefore,  he  proposed  to  plant  a  colony  in 
America,  he  met  with  little  difficulty ;  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh  advanced  him  what  funds 
he  needed,  and  he  sailed  for  America  in 
the  latter  part  of  1579.  Tremendous 
storms  forced  the  ships  to  return,  and  four 
years  passed  before  the  attempt  was  re 
newed.  Finally,  in  June,  1583,  another 
venture  was  made  from  Plymouth. 

The  fleet  included  the  Raleigh,  a  vessel 
of  two  hundred  tons  burden,  the  Golden 
Hind  and  the  Swallow,  each  of  forty  tons,  the  Delight,  of  one  hun 
dred  and  twenty  tons,  and  the  Squirrel,  of  ten  tons.  A  few  days  out, 
however,  the  Raleigh  turned  about  and  came  back  to  port.  In  the 
following  August  the  vessels  entered  the  harbor  of  St.  John's,  New 
foundland,  and  Gilbert  took  possession  of  the  country  in  the  name 
of  his  sovereign.  During  the  stay  there  misfortune  came  to  the  en 
terprise.  A  number  of  the  crew  fell  ill  and  died,  others  became 
mutinous^  and  a  plot  was  formed  to  take  possession  of  the  ships. 
This  being  defeated,  the  mutineers  seized  a  fishing-smack  and  put  to 
sea.  Gilbert  then  sent  the  Swallow  home  with  the  sick  and  most  of 
the  disaffected  crew. 

While  exploring  the  coasts  southward,  a  tempest  wrecked  the 
largest  vessel  of  the  fleet,  and  one  hundred  lives  were  lost.  The 
commander  and  a  few  of  his  crew  were  saved  and  took  refuge  on  the 
little  Squirrel.  The  weather  continued  so  bad,  and  the  fleet  was  so 
crippled,  that  Gilbert  decided  to  return  to  England,  with  the  intention 

*  Raleigh  (Raw'li)  was  a  great  Elizabethan  courtier,  soldier,  and  mariner,  who  took 
an  active  part  in  colonizing  schemes  in  the  New  World,  which  he  munificently  supported 
from  his  own  purse.  He  also  took  a  loyal  part  in  England's  preparations  to  repel  the 
Spanish  Armada,  and  actively  commanded  a  ship  on  the  occasion.  Politically,  he  fell 
under  the  censure  of  both  Queen  Elizabeth  and  James  I.,  and  for  reasons  of  state  was 
imprisoned  for  many  years  in  the  Tower  of  London,  where  he  wrote  and  published  (1614) 
"A  History  of  the  World."  In  1628  he  was  beheaded. 


CHAP,  vii     ENGLISH,  EXPLORERS    IN    AMERICA 


of  coming  back  and  continuing  his  explorations  in  the  following 
spring.  The  tempestuous  weather  did  not  abate,  but  Sir  Humphrey 
showed  no  fear  in  the  tiny  Squirrel.  On  that  dark  September  night 
the  boat  went  to  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  with  the  brave  captain  and 
his  faithful  companions. 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh  mourned  the  loss  of  his  noble  half-brother, 
but  believed  in  his  schemes  of  colonization,  and  he  devoted  himself 
with  energy  and  lavish  expenditure  to  the  carrying  of  them  out.  The 
queen  gave  him  a  new  and  more  liberal  patent,  and  in  June,  1584, 
two  ships,  in  charge  of  Captain  Arthur  Barlow,  set  out  to  find  the 
most  desirable  place  for  planting  a  colony.  They  took  the  southerly 
and  more  favorable  route,  and  after  exploring  the  coast  of  North 
Carolina  for  several  days,  they  came  to  anchor  in  Pamlico  Sound. 
The  Indians  flocked  around  them  in  their  canoes,  and  treated  them 
with  the  greatest  hospitality  and  friendship.  The  English  were 
equally  kind  to  them,  so  that  the  best  of  feeling  soon  prevailed. 
When  the  ships  returned  to  England  to 
report,  two  of  the  Indians  willingly  went 
with  them  and  were  brought  back  in  the 
following  year. 

The  story  told  by  these  explorers 
charmed  the  queen  and  delighted  Raleigh. 
Elizabeth  declared  the  event  one  of  the 
most  glorious  of  her  reign,  and  Raleigh 
was  knighted.  He  named  the  immense 
region  Virginia,  in  honor  of  the  illustrious 
virgin  queen,  and  took  steps  for  colonizing, 
as  soon  as  he  could,  the  fertile  and  inviting 
country.  Seven  ships  sailed  out  of  Ply 
mouth  harbor  in  April,  1585,  with  full  crews  and  one  hundred  and 
eighty  colonists,  under  command  of  Sir  Richard  Grenville,  one  of 
the  bravest  of  men,*  who,  however,  cared  more  for  buccaneering  than 
for  planting  a  colony  in  the  wilds  of  the  New  World.  He  did  a  good 
deal  of  plundering  of  Spanish  ships  on  the  way,  and  fostered  a  spirit 

*  For  a  characterization  of  Sir  Richard  Grenville,  and  an  example  of  his  undaunted 
English  spirit,  see  Lord  Tennyson's  heroic  ballad  of  the  fleet  of  1591,  entitled  "The 
Revenge."  The  poem  follows  the  incidents  of  the  memorable  sea-fight,  as  narrated  in 
Hakluyt's  Voyages,  in  which  Sir  Richard  Grenville  engaged,  alone,  a  Spanish  fleet  of 
fifty-three  sail,  repulsing  the  enemy  fifteen  times,  and,  despite  the  unequal  action,  sending 
four  ships  and  about  a  thousand  men  to  the  bottom. 


SIR  WALTER   RALEIGH 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION- 
IOOO 

TO 
1590 


Ra 
leigh's 
Second 
Expedi 
tion, 
1584 


Ra 
leigh's 
Third 
Expedi 
tion, 
1585 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP.  VH 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
IOOO 

TO 
1590 


Ra 
leigh's 
Last 
Expedi 
tion, 
1587 


of  unrest  and  adventure  on  the  part  of  the  settlers.  The  American 
coast  was  sighted  in  July,  and,  after  a  leisurely  cruise,  they  landed 
on  Roanoke  Island. 

More  than  a  week  was  spent  in  exploring  the  surrounding  coun 
try,  the  Indians  showing  the  same  kindness  as  before,  when  an  in 
cident  took  place  which  makes  one  doubt  whether  Grenville  was  a 
fool  or  a  knave.  While  visiting  an  Indian  village,  one  of  the  white 
men  missed  a  silver  cup.  Grenville  demanded  that  it  should  be 
returned  at  once,  and  because  of  a  delay  in  complying  with  his  order 
he  burned  the  village  and  destroyed  all  the  standing  corn.  Little 
dreaming  of  the  unquenchable  hatred  caused  by  this  wanton  outrage, 
Grenville  left  the  colonists  soon  after  and  returned  to  England. 

Ralph  Lane,  a  distinguished  soldier  and  civilian,  now  became 
governor  of  the  colony.  He  was  so  harsh  towards  the  Indians  that 
they  became  deadly  enemies  of  the  white  men.  When  Lane  set  out 
to  find  some  copper  mines,  of  which  he  had  heard,  he  met  with  so 
determined  an  hostility  on  the  part  of  the  natives  that  he  was 
obliged  to  return.  The  Indians  refused  to  furnish  any  provisions, 
which  had  now  become  so  scarce  that  the  settlers  were  in  danger 
of  starvation.  Fortunately  at  this  crisis  Sir  Francis  Drake  appeared 
off  the  coast  with  his  fleet  and  took  the  homesick  colonists  back  to 
England.  Several  of  the  settlers  carried  with  them  some  tobacco 
leaf,  the  use  of  which  was  thus  introduced  into  Europe. 

Raleigh  was  still  undismayed  by  the  mishaps  that  had  overtaken 
his  enterprises.  In  April,  1587,  he  dispatched  another  expedition, 
consisting  of  three  ships,  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  and  wo 
men  on  board  of  them.  John  White  was  appointed  governor  of  the 
colony,  and  the  men  under  his  charge  were  much  better  fitted  to  be 
pioneers  than  their  predecessors.  They  came,  not  to  seek  for  silver 
and  gold,  but  to  make  homes  for  themselves  in  the  New  World,,  of 
which  they  had  received  so  many  pleasing  accounts.  All  this  was 
good,  but  the  trouble  with  the  settlers  on  Roanoke  was  that  they  did 
not  agree  among  themselves.  They  quarrelled  from  the  beginning. 
One  of  White's  assistants  was  killed  by  the  Indians  while  searching 
for  shellfish  on  the  beach,  and  a  number  of  friendly  natives  were  at 
tacked  under  the  supposition  that  they  were  hostile. 

About  this  time,  Mrs.  Eleanor  Dare,  whose  father  was  Governor 
White,  had  a  daughter  born  to  her,  to  which  was  given  the  name 
of  Virginia  Dare.  She  was  the  first  English  child  born  in  America. 


CHAP,  vii     ENGLISH    EXPLORERS    IN   AMERICA 


97 


Governor  White  decided  to  return  to  England  with  the  ships  for 
supplies  which  would  soon  be  needed.  He  left  behind  him  eighty- 
nine  men,  seventeen  women,  and  two  children,  among  them  being 
his  daughter,  Mrs.  Dare.  It  was  his  intention  to  return  with  the 
least  possible  delay ;  but  when  he  reached  England  he  found  a  gen 
eral  alarm  over  the  impending  invasion  by  Spain.  The  services  of 
every  one  were  needed,  and  despite  all  he  could  do,  it  was  not  until 
April,  1590,  that  Raleigh  was  able  to  send  White  back  with  two 
shiploads  of  supplies. 

It  is  a  strange  and  pathetic  story  that  which  follows.  Governor 
White  was  eager  to  greet  his  daughter  and  the  friends  whom  he  had 
not  seen  for  many  a  day.  Before  his  ships  had  come  to  anchor  he 
was  thrilled  with  hope  at  the  sight  of  a  column  of  smoke  over 
Roanoke  Island.  This  he  accepted  as  a  sign  that  all  was  well, 
and  guns  were  fired  to  let  the  colonists  know  that  relief  had  arrived. 
The  next  morning,  boats  were  lowered  and  rowed  in  the  direction 
of  the  smoke,  which,  before  it  was  reached,  appeared  at  another 
point,  and  so  far  off  that  a  good  many  hours  were  spent  in  rowing 
to  the  spot.  When  it  was  reached,  the  disappointing  discovery  was 
made  that  the  vapor  was  a  delusion.  There  was  neither  smoke  nor 
camp-fire.  The  following  day  while  the  boats  were  making  their  way 
to  shore  to  obtain  water,  one  of  them  was  swamped  and  six  sailors 
were  drowned.  This  caused  a  superstitious  fear,  and  the  remainder  of 
the  men  for  a  time  would  not  go  on.  They  were  finally  persuaded, 
and  in  the  dusk  of  early  evening  began  their  tramp  over  the  island 
in  the  direction  of  the  spot  where,  White  assured  them,  they  would 
find  their  friends. 

As  the  Englishmen  advanced,  they  saw  lights  twinkling  a  short 
distance  ahead,  and  were  sure  they  would  soon  greet  their  relatives 
and  old  acquaintances,  whom  they  had  not  seen  or  heard  from  for 
so  long  a  time.  And  what  news  they  would  tell  them  of  dear  old 
England,  thousands  of  miles  away  across  the  ocean!  How  they 
would  be  thrilled  by  the  story  of  the  destruction  of  that  "  Invincible 
Armada,"  with  which  Spain  expected  to  capture  and  make  desolate 
the  kingdom,  and  what  a  world  of  other  tidings  they  had  to  relate ! 

The  visitors  broke  into  shouts  and  songs,  which  ought  to  have 
brought  a  response ;  but  when  they  listened  all  was  still.  At  day 
break,  they  reached  the  spot  where  White  had  parted  with  the  set 
tlers,  but  nothing  of  them  was  seen.  There  were  numerous  im- 

7 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERT 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
1000 

TO 

159° 


Succor 
for  Ra 
leigh's 
Second 
Colony 


Defeat 

of  the 
Spanish 
Armada, 


98  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  v-u 

PERIOD  i     prints  of  moccasins,  and  upon  the  bark  of  one  of  the  trees  were 
DAND°EX*Y    carved  three  letters  "  C  R  O."     White  explained  that  when  he  left  his 


rLOiooo°N    friends>  three  years  before,  they  were  considering  the  question  of  re 

moving  to  the  mainland.     They  agreed  that   if  they   did    so  they 

would  cut  the  name  of  their  destination  on  the  trunks  of  the  trees 

Misgiv-    whefe  it  would  be  plainly  in  sight.     It  was  understood  also  that,  if 

Tathef    anv  disaster  befell  them,   they  would  carve  the  figure  of   a  cross 

J[at£0,f     under  the  letters.     No  such  emblem  appeared,  and  he  took  hope 

nists       from  the  fact,  though  the  strange  absence  of  the  colonists  filled  him 

with  the  dread  that  some  calamity  had  overtaken  them.     It  seemed 

to  him  that  the  letters  were  meant  to  tell  them  that  their  friends  had 

removed  to  Croatan  Island  instead  of  to  the  mainland. 

Penetrating  further,  they  came  to  the  abandoned  post,  still  in 
closed  by  palisades.  There  they  found  the  full  name  CROATAN 
cut  on  the  trees,  and  as  yet  without  the  figure  of  the  cross.  The 
relief  that  this  fact  might  have  afforded  was  effaced  by  other  signs. 
The  log-dwellings  were  in  ruins,  pieces  of  metal  were  scattered 
around,  and  a  number  of  buried  trunks  had  been  dug  up  and  their 
contents  flung  about.  Among  them  White  recognized  several  belong 
ing  to  himself. 

These  discoveries  convinced  him  that  all  the  colonists  had  per 
ished  ;  but  it  seems  strange  that  he  did  not  continue  his  search 
for  them.  It  is  not  impossible  that  they  were  within  a  few  miles  at 
that  very  moment  ;  but  a  storm  set  in,  his  provisions  ran  short, 
and  it  was  too  dangerous  to  attempt  to  bring  off  the  water  casks  that 
had  been  sent  ashore.  The  sailors  were  impatient,  and  demanded 
that  they  should  leave  the  spot,  which  seemed  to  them  to  be  ac 
cursed.  The  governor  complied  with  their  wishes,  and  sailing  for 
the  West  Indies,  he  never  again  set  foot  in  America. 

The  What  was  the  fate  of  the  Lost  Colony  ?     This  is  one  of  the  most 

Lost 
Colony,    interesting  questions  connected  with  the  early  exploration   of  our 

country,  and  it  has  never  been  satisfactorily  answered.  Twenty 
years  later,  when  Jamestown  had  been  settled,  it  was  said  that  many 
members  of  the  colony  were  still  alive;  while  at  a  later  date  it 
was  asserted  that  some  of  them  had  been  seen  and  spoken  to.  This 
assertion  was  never  verified,  and  probably  was  untrue. 

There  is  ground,  however,  for  another  claim  which  has  signifi 
cance.  When,  long  years  after,  the  region  was  settled  by  Euro 
peans,  they  saw  numerous  members  of  the  Hatteras  Indians  who 


100 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  vn 


PERIOD  I 

DISCOVERY 
AND  EX 
PLORATION 
IOOO 

TO 

1590 


Probable 
Absorp 
tion  of 
the  Lost 
Colony 
in  the 
Indian 
Tribes 


showed  unmistakable  traces  of  white  blood.  They  had,  in  some  in 
stances,  light  hair  and  eyes,  peculiarities  never  seen  in  true  mem 
bers  of  the  native  American  race.  At  the  same  time,  there  was  a 
tradition  extant  among  those  people,  that  when  the  Lost  Colony  was 
deserted  by  their  friends  they  were  adopted  by  the  red  men,  who 
had  always  been  friendly  to  them.  They  became  absorbed  in  the 
tribe,  and,  as  the  years  passed,  gradually  lost  their  identity,  and 
finally  disappeared  as  completely  as  if  all  had  been  massacred  dur 
ing  the  absence  of  Governor  White  in  Europe,  towards  the  close  of 
the  sixteenth  century. 

This  last  failure  exhausted  the  resources  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh. 
He  had  spent  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  dollars  in  his  attempts 
at  colonization.  He  assigned  a  large  part  of  his  rights  to  a  number 
of  merchants,  who  kept  up  for  a  while  a  petty  trade  with  the  Irdians 
in  Virginia,  but  made  no  serious  attempt  at  settlement. 


PERIOD    II  —  COLONIZATION    AND    SETTLEMENT 


CHAPTER    VIII 

THE     FIRST    PERMANENT     SETTLEMENTS     IN 

AMERICA 

[Authorities:  The  general  histories,  in  their  earlier  chapters,  of  Bancroft,  Hildreth, 
and  Bryant  and  Gay,  should  be  consulted,  and,  especially,  the  third  volume  of  Justin 
Winsor's  "Narrative  and  Critical  History,"  dealing  with  English  discovery  and  settle 
ment  in  America.  The  interested  student  of  the  native  annals  should  not  omit  the 
English  works  that  throw  light  on  the  era,  such  as  Gardiner's  "First  Two  Stuarts" 
(Epochs  of  Modern  History),  and  Payne's  "European  Colonies."  See,  also,  Neil's 
and  Lodge's  "  English  Colonies  in  America."  For  an  account  of  the  early  French 
settlement  in  Acadia,  and  the  founding  of  the  French  Colony  on  the  St.  Lawrence  by 
Champlain,  the  chief  authorities  are  Parkman's  "  Pioneers  of  France  in  the  New  World," 
and  "  The  Jesuits  in  North  America  ;  "  Kingsford's  "  History  of  Canada,"  Vols.  I.  and 
II.;  and  the  contemporaneous  annals  of  Charlevoix,  "  History  of  New  France"  (O'Shea's 
translation) ,  "  Champlain's  Voyages,"  edited  by  Laverdiere  and  Casgrain  (Quebec:  1870), 
and  the  Relations  des  Jesuites.] 

HUNDRED  years  had  rolled  by  since  the  discovery 
of  America  by  Columbus,  during  which  the  Span 
ish,  French,  and  English  explorers  penetrated  the 
northern  and  southern  portions  of  the  continent, 
with  the  scant  result,  however,  that  when  the  six 
teenth  century  drew  to  a  close,  and  the  dawn  of 
the  seventeenth  came,  the  only  permanent  settle 
ment  anywhere  was  the  feeble  colony  which  the 
Spanish,  in  1565,  had  planted  at  St.  Augustine,  Florida. 

But  the  French  and  English  were  at  work,  and  though  failure  did 
not  cease  to  dog  the  steps  of  the  colonists,  the  hour  of  success 
drew  nigh.  Raleigh  had  used  most  of  his  resources,  as  has  been 


102 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES    CHAP,  vm 


TION  AND 

SETTLE- 

1602 

1758 


Cos- 
nold's 


PERIOD  ii    stated,  in  the  vain  effort  to  colonize  the  country,  but,  while  he  lived, 
his    interest  was   still  keen  in   the    New  World.     Learning    from 

f  f 

Bartholomew  Gosnold,  who  had  visited  America,  that  the  Earl  of 
Southampton  had  offered  to  fit  out  a  vessel  if  he  would  command  it, 
Raleigh  urged  him  to  do  so,  and  Gosnold  consented. 

This  expedition  sailed  from  Falmouth,  in  April,  1602,  with  thirty 
persons,  twenty  of  whom  were  designed  as  material  in  founding  a 
colony.  The  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  possessed  one  remarkable 
feature  :  it  was  the  first  made  over  the  present  track  taken  by  ocean 
steamers  between  England  and  America.  As  a  consequence,  in  a 
little  more  than  a  month  after  sailing,  Gosnold  sighted  the  Massa 
chusetts  coast  (naming  it  Cape  Cod,  because  of  the  abundance  of 
codfish  seen  there),  the  Elizabeth  Islands,  and  Martha's  Vineyard 
(originally  Martin's  Vineyard).  On  one  of  the  Elizabeth  Islands  in 
Buzzard's  Bay,  tradition  credits  Gosnold  with  having  landed  and 
begun  the  construction  of  a  fort.  The  name  of  this  island  which 
he  selected  for  the  colony  is  the  Indian  one  of  Cuttyhunk. 

Now,  there  was  no  good  reason  why  Gosnold  should  not  have  had 
the  honor  of  planting  the  first  English  settlement  in  America,  for 
everything  favored  such  an  enterprise.  The  soil  was  good,  and  na 
ture  very  bountiful  ;  raspberries,  strawberries,  grapes,  and  other  small 
fruits  grew  in  profusion  ;  and  the  climate  was  less  severe  than  in 
Canada.  But  the  settlers  looked  out  on  the  sea  and  remembered 
that  three  thousand  miles  of  tempestuous  waters  rolled  between 
them  and  England  ;  that  the  Indians  seemed  to  be  hostile  ;  that  their 
own  supply  of  provisions  was  scant,  and  the  future  source  uncertain. 
These  and  other  forebodings  filled  the  would-be  colonists  with  home 
sickness,  so  that,  when  Gosnold  sailed  for  home,  he  took  with  him 
all  the  people  that  he  had  brought  away. 

But  the  pleasing  story  told  by  Gosnold  and  his  friends  deepened 

the  interest  of  England  in  colonization,  and  two  ships  were  fitted  out 

to  visit  and  plant  a  settlement  in  the  same  region.     They  were  un- 

Pring's    der  the  command  of  Martin  Pring,  and,  sailing  from  Milford  Haven 

tiJn,  '     *n  tne  spring  of   1603,  entered  Penobscot  Bay  in  the  following  June. 

1603       They  explored  the  shore-front  of  Maine  to  the  southward,  and  visited 

the  spot  where  Gosnold  had  landed.     Six  months  later,  the  voyagers 

returned  to  England,  and  confirmed  the  favorable  accounts  of  their 

predecessors. 

As  a  result,  other  expeditions  followed  and  visited  the  same  sec- 


CHAP,  viii    FIRST    PERMANENT   SETTLEMENTS 


'03 


tion,  trading  with  the  Indians,  and  now  and  then  kidnapping  some 
of  them.  The  war  with  France  having  ended  for  the  time,  James  I. 
of  England  warmly  supported  a  plan  for  colonizing  America  on  an 
extensive  scale.  He  saw  the  prospect  not  only  of  gain  for  his  sub 
jects,  but  a  safe  field  of  adventure  and  enterprise  for  his  idle  soldiers. 

And  so  it  came  about  that  on  April  2Oth,  1606,  he  issued  letters- 
patent  to  Sir  Thomas  Gates,  Sir  George  Somers,  Richard  Hakluyt,  * 
Edward  Maria  Wingfield,  Captain  Gos- 
nold,  and  others,  by  which  they  were  given 
all  the  land  on  the  American  coast  between 
latitudes  34°  and  45°  north,  and  including 
all  the  lands  situated  within  a  hundred 
miles  of  the  shore. 

These  patents  or  grants  called  for  the 
formation  of  two  companies,  the  northern 
and  southern.  The  directors  of  the  south 
ern  company  lived  in  London,  and  their 
enterprise  was  therefore  known  by  that 
name,  while  those  of  the  northern  company  resided  in  Plymouth,  and 
that  organization  became  the  Plymouth  Company.  The  grant  of  the 
London  Company  embraced  all  the  coast  from  34°  to  38°,  or  from  Cape 
Fear  to  the  Rappahannock  River,  which  domain  was  known  as 
South  Virginia.  The  territory  of  the  Plymouth  Company,  called 
North  Virginia,  extended  from  41°  to  45°,  or  from  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Hudson  to  the  eastern  point  of  Maine. 

Now  that  England  had  taken  the  important  step  that  was  to  give 
her  the  strongest  of  all  footholds  in  America,  we  must  not  overlook 
the  work  done  by  her  great  rival,  France.  Samuel  de  Champlain 
(sham-playn^j  of  the  French  navy,  was  commissioned  by  his  king 
(Henry  IV)  lieutenant-general  of  Canada,  for  which  country  he 
sailed,  March  i$th,  1603,  accompanied  by  Pontgrave,  who  was  inter 
ested  in  the  fur-  trade.  Ascending  the  St.  Lawrence  in  May,  they 
anchored  at  Tadousac,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Saguenay,  whence  they' 
proceeded  in  a  smaller  boat  past  the  great  red  rock,  now  crowned  by 


SAMUEL  DE  CHAMPLAIN 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLED 

MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


The 
London 
and  Ply 
mouth 
Com 
panies 


Cham- 
plain  be 
comes 
Lieuten 
ant- 
General 

of 

Canada, 
1603 


*  Hakluyt  (hak'-loof)  was  a  clergyman,  and  notable  in  his  day  as  the  compiler  of  a  col 
lection  of  voyages  and  records  of  the  discoveries  of  English  navigators.  He  died  in  1616 
and  was  buried  in  Westminster  Abbey,  London.  The  Hakluyt  Society,  founded  in  1846, 
perpetuates  his  name  and  work,  in  preserving  the  records  of  geographical  discovery,  and 
in  issuing  well-edited  reprints  of  the  work  of  early  navigators. 


104 


HISTORY 


THE   UNITED    STATES    CHAP,  vin 


1602 

1758 


the  citadel'of  Quebec,  thence  onward  to  the  rapids,  near  the  present 

PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA-    city  of  Montreal.     Champlain  returned  home  in  the  autumn,  and 

T10N  AND 

published  an  account  of  his  voyage,  which  attracted  much  attention. 
When  Champlain  reached  France,  he  found  that  the  king  had 
made  a  leading  Huguenot,  the  Sieur  de  Monts  (men),  viceroy  over  six 
degrees  of  latitude  in  America,  extending  from  the  St.  Lawrence 
southward  to  the  latitude  of  Cape  May.  The  region  was  named 
Acadia,  and  De  Monts  sailed  thither  with  four  vessels  in  March, 

De  1604,  Champlain  acting  as  his  pilot.  Accompanying  the  expedition 
Monts' 
Colony 
on  the 
Bay  of 
Fundy 


ACADIA  AND  THE  WATER-HIGHWAY  TO  CANADA 

were  a  number  of  artisans  and  laborers,  together  with  the  celebrated 
early  French  historian,  Marc  Lescarbot,*  and  the  Baron  Poutrin- 
court.  The  expedition  did  not  steer  for  the  St.  Lawrence,  but  for 
the  Acadian  (Nova  Scotian)  peninsula,  as  De  Monts  decided  to  make 
his  settlement  farther  to  the  southward.  Accordingly,  the  emigrants 
entered  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  and  anchored  in  a  harbor  on  the  northern 
shore  of  the  peninsula.  There  a  settlement  was  begun  to  which  the 

*  Lescarbot  (la-kar-bo')  is  chiefly  known  by  his  "Histoire  de  Nouvelle  France"  pub 
lished  in  France  in  1609,  which  gives  an  account  not  only  of  the  French  colony  in  Acadia, 
but  also  of  Cartier's  voyages  to  Canada,  and  of  Laudonniere's  expedition  to  Florida. 


CHAP.  vin.    FIRST    PERMANENT    SETTLEMENTS 


105 


name  of  Port  Royal  was  given.  It  was  afterwards  known  as  An 
napolis,  Nova  Scotia,  so-called  in  honor  of  Queen  Anne.  De  Monts 
and  the  main  body  of  the  emigrants  passed  the  winter  on  an  island 
in  the  St.  Croix  River,  the  present  boundary  between  Maine  and 
New  Brunswick.  The  weather  was  so  severe  that  half  of  them  per 
ished  before  spring,  when  the  survivors  made  their  way  to  Port 
Royal  and  joined  the  colony  there,  which  had  meanwhile  been  re 
cruited  from  France  by  another  batch  of  colonists,  under  Pontgrave. 

French  settlement  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy  survived  for  a  number  of 
years,  but  it  was  sorely  crippled  by  dissensions  between  rival  gover 
nors  and  harassed  by  the  aggressive  English  colonists  on  the  New 
England  coast.  In  1613,  Captain  Samuel  Argall,  an  English  free 
booter,  plundered  the  French  settlements  in  Acadia  and  burned  Port 
Royal,  on  the  plea  that  they  were  intrusions  upon  the  domain  of  the 
North  and  South  Virginia  Company. 

De  Monts  had  no  wish  to  contest  the  matter  with  that  powerful 
corporation,  and,  in  the  summer  of  1608,  obtaining  a  new  charter,  he 
proceeded  with  Champlain,  who  was  now  to  become  the  real  founder 
of  Canada,  to  his  old  winter  quarters  at  Tadousac,  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Saguenay.  There  Champlain  left  De  Monts  and  planted  a 
colony  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  on  the  site  of  the  present  city  of 
Quebec,  the  first  permanent  French  settlement  in  America.  In  the 
following  summer,  Champlain  penetrated  the  Indian  country  and 
discovered  the  beautiful  lake  which  bears  his  name.  The  settle 
ments  thus  begun  took  root,  and,  with  varying  fortunes,  waned  and 
flourished  for  a  period  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  years,  until  the  con 
quest,  in  1759,  when  they  passed  under  the  flag  of  Britain.  The 
French  from  the  first  secured  the  friendship  of  their  Indian  neigh 
bors  of  the  Algonquin  or  Huron  tribe,  in  which  they  were  aided  by 
the  Jesuit  missionaries,  who  were  far-seeing,  long-suffering,  and  de 
voted  to  their  self-appointed  task.  That  tribal  alliance,  however,  cost 
the  colony  dear,  since  it  provoked  the  ire  of  the  Iroquois  confederacy, 
which  became  a  constant  menace  to  the  French.* 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Found 
ing  of 
Quebec, 
1608 


*  Champlain,  while  on  a  visit,  in  1615,  to  the  Huron  country,  on  the  Georgian  Bay, 
was  induced  by  the  Hurons  to  take  part  with  them  in  an  attack  on  the  Iroquois,  in  the 
Mohawk  Valley,  New  York  State.  This  was  fraught  with  lamentable  consequences  to 
the  French  Colony  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  as  well  as  to  the  Huron  nation,  which,  in  1648- 
49,  was  almost  entirely  wiped  out  of  existence  by  the  demoniac  fury  of  the  Iroquois. 
For  an  account  of  the  latter,  see  Parkman's  narrative,  also  the  article,  by  G.  Mercer 
Adam,  on  "  The  Georgian  Bay  and  the  Muskoka  Lakes,"  in  Picturesque  Canada. 


io6 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  vni 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


The 
Popham 
Colony, 

1607 


JAMES    I 


We  have  now  reached  a  period  when  we  must  tell  about  the  first 
lasting  English  colony  in  America.  The  domain  of  the  Plymouth, 
or  North  Virginia,  Company  lay  between  the  forty-first  and  forty- 
fifth  degrees,  and  that  of  the  London,  or  South  Virginia,  Company 

between  the  thirty-fourth  and  thirty-eighth 
degrees  of  north  latitude.  This  left  three 
degrees  between  North  and  South  Virginia, 
and  neither  party  was  allowed  to  settle 
within  one  hundred  miles  of  each  other 
in  the  intervening  space. 

King  James  reserved  to  himself  the  right 
to  name  a  resident  council  for  the  several 
colonies,  each  of  which  selected  its  own 
presiding  officer.  They  could  fill  any  va 
cancies  .  that  occurred,  but  no  clergyman 
was  allowed  to  act  as  president.  The  laws 
made  by  this  council  were  subject  to  revision  or  change  by  the  king 
and  council  in  England.  It  was  provided  that  for  five  years  all 
property  should  be  held  in  common,  and  the  established  religion  in 
the  colony  was  to  be  that  of  the  Church  of  England. 

In  May,  1606,  the  Plymouth  Company  sent  out  a  ship  which  ex 
plored  a  part  of  the  coast  of  Maine  and  took  back  a  favorable  report. 
Another  followed  in  August,  but  was  captured  by  the  Spaniards. 
The  Plymouth  Company  included  some  of  the  most  famous  names  in 
England.  Among  them  were  Sir  John  Popham,  Lord  Chief  Justice, 
who  condemned  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  to  death,  his  brother  George, 
and  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  (Go^jez).  In  the  early  summer  of  1607, 
a  hundred  emigrants,  under  Governor  George  Popham,  sailed  for 
America.  They  landed  on  a  desolate  spot,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Kennebec,  where  they  erected  a  few  log  huts  and  a  rude  fort.  It 
was  too  late  to  plant  any  crops,  and  the  Indians  were  so  sullen  that 
all  the  emigrants  except  a  contingent  of  forty-five  sailed  away  in  the 
ships  that  had  brought  them  over. 

The  winter  which  followed  was  one  of  the  severest  for  a  region  at 
the  time  noted  for  its  semi-arctic  climate.  The  streams  were  frozen 
almost  solid,  and  shut  out  all  possibility  of  fishing,  while  the  snow 
lay  in  such  enormous  drifts  in  the  forests  that  no  one  could  engage 
in  hunting.  Little  was  visible  of  their  cabins  save  the  tops  of  the 
chimneys,  from  which  the  thin  smoke  curled  upward  among  the  leaf- 


CHAP,  vin     FIRST    PERMANENT    SETTLEMENTS 


107 


less  trees.  In  the  depth  of  the  terrible  winter,  the  storehouse  in 
which  they  had  placed  their  scant  provisions,  caught  fire,  and  was 
burned  to  ashes,  with  most  of  their  supplies.  The  privations  brought 
on  disease  and  the  death  of  a  number,  among  whom  was  the  Chief 
Justice's  brother,  Governor  Popham. 

When  it  looked  as  if  all  must  perish,  a  ship  arrived  with  provisions 
and  the  news  that  Chief  Justice  Popham  and  another  principal  leader 
of  the  enterprise  were  dead.  The  tidings,  and  their  own  intolerable 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


THE    POPHAM    COLONISTS 

hardships,  so  discouraged  the  emigrants,  that  they  bade  good-by  to 
the  dismal  solitudes  and  returned  to  England  with  the  ship.  They 
took  with  them  so  disheartening  an  account  of  the  country  and  their 
experience  there  that  for  a  long  time  no  further  attempt  was  made 
to  plant  an  English  colony  in  the  region.  All  that  the  Plymouth 
Company  did  was  to  fish  in  the  waters  along  the  shore,  and  keep  up  a 
fitful  trade  with  the  natives. 

In  December,  1606,  the  London  Company  sent  out  three  vessels 
from  Blackwall,  England.  They  were  the  Susan  Constant,  of  one 
hundred  tons,  the  God- Speedy  of  forty,  and  the  Discovery,  a  pinnace 
of  twenty  tons.  The  emigrants  numbered  one  hundred  and  five  men, 


The  Ex 
pedition 
sent  out 
by  the 
London 
Com 
pany, 
1606 


io8 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  vm 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


Captain 
John 
Smith 


Smith's 
Euro 
pean  Ad 
ventures 


and  were  unaccompanied  by  women..  Captain  Christopher  Newport 
had  command  of  the  vessels,  and  his  orders  were  to  land  on  Roanoke 
Island,  the  site  of  the  Lost  Colony  which  disappeared  twenty  years 

before.     The  season  was  cold  and  tempestu 
ous,  and  the  men  who  composed  this  famous 
company  had  a  no  less  stormy  time  of  it 
among   themselves.       A  large    number   of 
them  were  adventurers,  whose  last  thought 
was  that    of   honest  labor.     Probably  less 
than  thirty  were  mechanics,  who  were  am 
bitious  to  make  a  home  for  themselves  in 
the  New  World.     But  among  the  colonists 
was  one  of  the    most  remarkable  men  of 
CAPTAIN  JOHN  SMITH          those  who  figure  in  the  history  of  our  coun 
try.     He  was  an  individual  who,  to-day,  has  not  hundreds  merely,  but 
thousands  of  namesakes  throughout  the  United  States.     Who  among 
us  has  not  heard  the  name  of  John  Smith  ? 

Happy  would  the  historian  be  to-day  if  ,he  knew  the  whole  truth 
about  this  particular  John  Smith,  for  the  facts  of  his  career  would 
make  an  interesting  story  indeed.  If  half  the  adventures  he  told 
about  himself  were  true,  he  had  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  ex 
periences  that  ever  befell  an  adventurer.  There  is  little  doubt  that 
Smith  was  a  greaj:  braggart  and  loved  to  relate  his  exploits,  some  of 
which,  it  is  to  be  feared,  have  slight  foundation  in  fact.  Neverthe 
less,  he  was  brave,  honest,  full  of  enterprise,  and  had  more  brains 
than  any  man  connected  with  the  expedition  sent  to  South  Virginia ; 
and,  though  many  of  the  people  hated  him,  the  time  quickly  came 
when  all  saw  his  worth  and  were  glad  to  lean  upon  him.  But  for  John 
Smith,  the  first  permanent  English  settlement  in  America  would  not 
have  been  made  when  and  where  it  was. 

Smith  at  that  time  was  under  thirty  years  of  age,  but,  young  as  he 
was,  he  had  become  famous  on  account  of  his  wonderful  adventures. 
He  was  such  a  wild,  headstrong  youth,  that  his  English  friends  gave 
him  a  small  sum  of  money  to  get  rid  of  him.  Quite  ready  to  leave 
England,  he  went  to  France  as  the  servant  of  a  nobleman,  who  soon, 
however,  turned  him  adrift.  Meanwhile,  he  had  grown  to  be  a  big 
sturdy  lad,  and,  enlisting  in  the  army  engaged  in  the  wars  in  the  Low 
Countries,  he  proved  himself  a  valiant  soldier,  and  came  back  to  Eng 
land  when  nineteen  years  old.  His  next  act  was  to  build  himself  a 


CHAP,  vin     FIRST    PERMANENT    SETTLEMENTS 


109 


cabin  in  the  heart  of  a  forest,  where  he  studied  military  tactics,  and 
in  the  open  glades  of  the  forest  became  an  expert  horseman. 

One  day  he  dashed  away  on  his  steed  and  enlisted  in  the  Chris 
tian  army  which  was  engaged  in  a  desperate  war  with  the  Turks, 
who  were  striving  to  force  their  way  into  Hungary.  At  Marseilles 
.(mar-sals')  Smith  embarked  for  Italy  in  a  ship  filled  with  Roman 
Catholic  pilgrims.  By  and  by  a  fierce  storm  arose,  and  the  pilgrims, 
believing  that  it  was  an  expression  of  God's  anger  because  they  were 
voyaging  with  a  heretic,  caught  up  Smith  and  flung  him  overboard. 
He  was  a  powerful  swimmer,  and  breasted  his  way  over  the  moun 
tainous  billows  to  an  island,  from  which  he  was  taken  in  a  French 
vessel  to  Alexandria. 

Soon  afterwards  he  joined  the  German  army  which  was  fighting 
the  Turks  in  Transylvania,  and  quickly  won  renown  among  a  host  of 
fighters.  While  besieging  a  city,  the  most  famous  warrior  of  the 
Mussulmans,  desirous  of  entertaining  the  ladies,  challenged  the 
Christian  army  to  produce  a  man  that  dared  to  meet  him  in  single 
combat.  Smith  put  forward  his  claim,  and  was  granted  the  honor  of 
appearing  as  champion  of  his  people.  In  the  presence  of  an  immense 
multitude  the  combat  took  place  on  horseback,  each  man  being  clad 
in  mail,  and  using  the  lances  of  the  knights  of  the  olden  time. 

The  combatants  met  in  furious  onslaught,  and  both  showed  con 
summate  skill  and  courage,  but  the  prowess  of  the  Christian  pre 
vailed,  the  Turk  was  unhorsed  and  slain,  and  his  head  carried  into 
the  Christian  canip.  Two  other  Turks,  burning  to  avenge  the  death 
of  their  leader,  entered  the  lis*ts  against  Smith,  and  he  killed  them 
both.  It  was  the  fate  of  war,  however,  that  soon  after  this  great  fight 
Smith  should  be  taken  prisoner  by  the  Turks.  He  was  sold  to  a 
Pacha,  or  ruler,  who  sent  him  to  Constantinople  as  a  slave  for  his 
mistress,  whom  he  was  anxious  to  marry.  She  became  interested 
in  the  adventures  of  the  handsome  young  Christian,  and,  in  the  hope 
of  securing  his  release,  sent  him  to  her  brother  in  the  Crimea.  But 
that  relative,  instead  of  sharing  her  tender  sympathy,  treated  the 
captive  with  great  cruelty.  He  placed  an  iron  collar  around  his  neck 
and  made  him  toil  daily  like  a  slave. 

One  day,  when  Smith  was  threshing  wheat,  with  his  master  sit 
ting  near  and  berating  him,  he  turned  suddenly  upon  the  Turk  and 
"threshed  him  to  death  with  the  flail."  Hastily  donning  the  clothes 
of  his  late  master,  he  leaped  on  his  horse  and  fled  from  the  place. 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


Smith's 

reputed 

Prowess 


i  io  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES    CHAP,  vm 

PERIOD  ii  He  was  pursued,  but,  with  the  start  gained,  and  the  fleetness  of  his 
steed,  he  escaped  from  the  country-,  and,  after  many  other  stirring 
adventures,  found  his  way  back  to  England  in  1604.  There  the 
1602  prospect  of  further  adventure  led  him  to  join  the  expedition  of  the 
*758  English  colonists  to  South  Virginia. 

Smith  was  so  much  the  superior  of  every  one  of  his  companions, 
and  was  so  outspoken  and  brusque  in  manner,  that  he  was  heartily 
disliked  by  his  jealous  fellow-adventurers.  An  absurd  charge  was 
made  against  him,  to  the  effect  that  he  was  plotting  to  murder  the 
members  of  the  council  and  make  himself  king  of  Virginia.  He 
was  held  a  prisoner  under  this  accusation,  for  which,  it  would  seem, 
there  was  in  truth  but  little  foundation. 

While  sailing  northward  along  the  American  coast  in  quest  of 
Roanoke  Island,  the  ships  were  caught  in  a  furious  storm,  which 
drove  them  into  Chesapeake  Bay,  the  headlands  of  which  they  named 
Cape  Henry  and  Cape  Charles,  in  honor  of  the  then  Prince  of  Wales 
and  his  brother.  The  king  had  forbidden  the  opening  of  the  box 
containing  the  sealed  instructions  until  they  sighted  land,  and  the 
pioneers  now  learned  for  the  first  time  the  names  of  the  men  who 
were  to  compose  the  resident  council.  They  were :  Bartholomew 
Gosnold,  John  Smith,  Edward  Wingfield,  Christopher  Newport,  John 
Ratcliffe,  John  Martin,  and  George  Kendall.  The  other  six  were 
indignant  at  the  selection  of  Smith,  and  several  asserted  that  the) 
would  not  sit  with  him ;  but  cooler  counsels  prevailed. 

The  wearied  voyagers  crossed  the  wide  mouth  of  the  Chesapeake, 
Found-    and  landed  at  a  point  which  was  so  pleasing  in  its  wealth  of  fragrant 
James-    flowers,  its   soft   breezes,  and  soothing  quiet,  that   they  named   it 
town,     point  Comfort.     Then,  after  resting  a  day  or  two,  they  sailed  up  a 
i3th,      broad  placid  river  which,  in  honor  of  their  king,  they  called   the 
07      James.     At  a  point  about  forty  miles  from  the  mouth  they  cho'-e  a 
place  on  an  island,  or  peninsula,  and,  going  ashore,  began  the  settle 
ment  of  Jamestown,  May  I3th,  1607.     This  became  the  first  perma 
nent  English  colony  planted  in  America. 

The  government  was  organized  by  the  selection  of  Wingfielci  as 
president  of  the  council.  He  was  bitterly  envious  of  Smith,  and 
not  having  withdrawn  his  charges,  and  wishing  to  be  rid  of  him,  he 
proposed  that  he  could  save  himself  by  returning  to  England  with 
Newport.  Smith,  however,  rejected  the  proposition,  and  after  a  while 
was  permitted  to  take  his  seat  at  the  council-board. 


CHAPTER    IX 
THE   COLONIAL    HISTORY  OF    VIRGINIA 

{Authorities  :  The  interesting  and  thrilling  story  of  settlement  in  the  ancient  colony  of 
Virginia  may  partly  be  read  in  early  contemporary  annals,  such  as  Purchas's  "  His 
Pilgrimage,"  and  Smith's  "  True  Relation  and  Generall  Historic,"  and  partly  in  the 
modern  biographies  of  Captain  John  Smith,  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  and  Nathaniel  Bacon; 
in  the  story  of  Rolfe  and  Pocahontas  ;  as  well  as  in  the  recent  monographs  in  the 
"American  Commonwealth  Series:"  Cooke's  "Virginia,"  and  Browne's  "Maryland." 
See,  also,  Drake's  "  The  Making  of  Virginia  and  the  Middle  Colonies,"  together  with 
Lodge's  "  English  Colonies  in  America,"  and  the  general  histories  of  the  United  States.] 

T  was  the  general  belief  in  Europe,  at  the  time  of  the 
founding  of  Jamestown,  that  the  Pacific  Ocean,  or 
South  Sea,  lay  only  a  comparatively  short  distance 
to   the   westward,    and  that  if   any   of  the  large 
streams  flowing  into  the  Atlantic  were  ascended, 
they  would  be  found  to  connect  with  the  greater 
ocean.     This  was  a  curious  belief,  since  there  are 
few  rivers  in  the  world  with  two  widely  separated 
outlets.     South  America  has  one  such  stream — the  Rio  Negro — but 
there  is  none  in  North  America. 

The  pioneers  at  Jamestown  had  been  ordered  to  look  into  the 
matter,  so  while  most  of  them  were  felling  trees  and  putting  up  cab 
ins,  Captain  Newport,  John  Smith,  and  some  twenty  others  ascended 
the  river  in  boafs,  to  make  what  might  be  called  a  preliminary  inves 
tigation.  They  had  heard  of  a  great  chief,  Powhatan  (Pow-ha-tan') 
who  lived  near  the  spot  where  Richmond  now  stands,  and  there  the 
white  men  paid  him  a  visit.  His  lodge,  or  "palace,"  was  an  impos 
ing  one,  being  much  larger  than  is  generally  seen  among  the  Indians, 
with  an  abundance  of  boughs,  bark,  skins,  and  saplings.  A  number 
of  modest  lodges  surrounding  the  kingly  residence  were  occupied  by 


The 
Indian 
Chief 
Pow 
hatan,  of 
Vir 
ginia 


112 


HISTORY   OF  THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ix 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


the  chief  advisers  of  the  dusky 
monarch,  and  luxuriant  fields  of 
Indian  corn  were  growing  near. 
Powhatan  received  his  visitors 
kindly,  but  some  of  his  chiefs 
looked  with  disfavor  on  the  in 
trusion  of  the  white  men.  This 
inland  voyage  of  the  little  party 
extended  for  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles,  and  several  other 
tribes  were  visited.  Many  gaudy 
trinkets  were  distributed,  while 
the  delighted  Indians  jn  turn 
gave  their  visitors  corn,  game, 
and  small  fruits.  On  the  voy 
age  down  the  James,  the  ob 
servant  Englishmen  were  dis 
quieted  to  observe  that  the  red 
men  were  scowling  and  un 
friendly.  The  explanation  of 
this-  was  found  when  the  ex 
plorers  reached  Jamestown. 

President  Wingfield  had  man 
aged  matters  badly  during  the 
several  weeks  that  Newport  and  his  companions  were  absent.  He  was 
so  envious  of  Smith  that  he  stopped  the  work  on  the  little  fort  which 
the  latter  had  recommended  should  be  built,  Smith's  purpose  being  as 
much  to  keep  the  men  occupied,  as  to  secure  a  defense  against  ene 
mies.  The  settlers  had  become  embroiled  with  the  Indians,  who  at 
tacked  them,  killing  a  boy  and  wounding  several  men.  This  caused 
all  haste  to  be  made  in  completing  the  fort,  while  sentinels  were  kept 
actively  on  duty  day  and  night. 

Captain  Newport  returned  to  England,  June  2ist,  1607,  for  more 
immigrants  and  supplies.  He  left  a  pinnace  for  the  use  of  the 
settlers,  whose  situation  at  this  time  was  anything  but  cheering. 
The  provisions  were  nearly  gone,  and  the  Indians  had  become  so  hos 
tile  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  procure  food  from  them.  The 
majority  of  immigrants  did  not  know  how  to  cultivate  the  soil,  and 
those  who  did  were  too  lazy  to  work.  The  summer  heat  was  over- 


POWHATAN'S   COUNTRY 


CHAP,  ix      COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF   VIRGINIA 

powering,  the  water  unwholesome,  and  a  noxious  exhalation  rose    PERIOD  H 
from  the  surrounding  swamps,  which  caused  so  much  sickness  that,  two 
weeks  after  the  departure  of  Captain  Newport,  there  was  hardly  a 
well  person  in  the  colony. 

In  the  midst  of  these  sufferings  it  was  discovered  that  President  1758 
Wingfield  had  kept  back  delicacies  from  the  sick  and  was  himself 
living  upon  them.  The  anger  against  him  was  so  intense  that  he 
was  deposed,  and  John  Ratcliffe  elected  in  his  place.  This  man  was 
as  great  a  hypocrite  as  Wingfield,  and  totally  lacking  in  force  of 
character.  He  was  soon  glad  to  resign,  and  all  turned  to  Smith, 
who  had  kept  his  sturdy  health,  and  shown  the  energy  of  half  a 
dozen  men.  He  was  chosen  president,  and  from  that  time  forward, 
so  long  as  he  remained  in  the  colony,  he  was  its  leading  spirit. 

Captain  John  Smith  proved  himself  to  be  a  ruler  who  ruled.     Had    Q™**^1 
he  not  been  such,  the  entire  body  of  settlers  would  have  probably  Adminis- 
perished.     He  governed  with  a  rod  of  iron.     He  declared  that  no  saves'tht 
well  man  should  have  a  mouthful  of  food  until  he  earned  it  by  work.     Colony 
He  stopped  the  wrangling,  was  himself  cheerful  and  hopeful,  toiled 
as  hard  as  any,  was  honest  and  unselfish,  gave  his  whole  energy  for 
the  well-being  of  the  sufferers,  and  frightened  the  'Indians  into  bring 
ing  in  food.     In  time,  the  weather  became  cool,  the  general  health 
improved,  and  the  settlers  were  able  to  shoot  plenty  of  game  in  the 
woods.     Thus  the  selection  of  Captain  John  Smith  as  president  of 
the  council  proved  the  salvation  of  the  colony. 

Smith  now  decided  to  make  another  exploration  of  the  surround 
ing  country.  Winter  was  nigh  at  hand,  and  he  set  out  to  ascend 
the  Chickahominy  in  a  single  boat,  with  five  or  six  companions. 
When  the  water  became  too  shallow  to  use  the  craft,  he  left  it  in 
charge  of  two  men,  instructing  them  to  keep  away  from  shore.  They 
hardly  waited  until  Smith  was  out  of  sight  when  they  landed  and 
began  hunting.  Prowling  Indians  killed  one,  and  the  other  barely 
escaped  with  his  life. 

Meanwhile,  Smith  himself  got  into  a  somewhat  serious  scrape.    Capture 
He  took  with  him  two  white  men  and  two  Indians  to  serve  as  guides,    Ojjy  ™ 
and  ascended  twenty  miles  further  in  a  canoe.     The  water  became 
so  shallow  that,  with  one    of  the   warriors    as   his    companion,   he 
plunged  into  the  tangled  woods  and  ardently  engaged  in  a  hunt  for 
game.     Unsuspected  by  Smith,  a  large  party  of  Indians  had  been 
watching  and  stealthily  following  him,  and  before  he  knew  of  his 
8 


riON  AND 


1  14  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ix 

"9 

PERIOD  ii  danger  the  surrounding  forest  was  alive  with  enemies.  They 
had  killed  the  two  men  left  in  charge  of  the  canoe,  and  sent  their 
arrows  whizzing  after  the  valiant  Englishman,  who,  however,  had 
1602  been  in  too  many  perilous  situations  to  lose  his  presence  of  mind. 
1758  Walking  slowly  backward,  he  loaded  and  discharged  his  old  firelock 
as  rapidly  as  he  could,  and  brought  down  a  couple  of  his  assail 
ants.  Although  slightly  wounded,  he  was  in  the  act  of  reloading, 
when  he  sank  to  his  knees  in  a  spongy  bog,  and,  before  he  could 
extricate  himself,  the  Indians  rushed  forward  and  made  him 
prisoner. 

Smith  understood  the  superstitious  nature  of  the  red  men  and  was 
shrewd  enough  to  appeal  to  it.  He  made  the  most  of  his  little 
pocket  compass,  with  its  tiny  darting  needle,  and  indulged  in  mys 
terious  gestures,  which  so  impressed  the  simple-minded  folk  that, 
instead  of  putting  him  to  death  on  the  spot,  they  exhibited  him 
in  several  villages,  and  finally  took  him  before  the  great  war-chief, 
Powhatan,  for  his  disposal. 

While  awaiting  his  fate,  Smith  was  allowed  to  send  a  letter  by  a 
couple  of  messengers  to  Jamestown.  This  act  so  impressed  the  red 
men,  when  they  were  made  to  see  that  the  letter  "  spoke"  to  the  set 
tlers,  that  they  were  filled  with  greater  awe  than  before. 

Despite  the  tact  shown  by  Smith,  the  council  summoned  by  Pow 

hatan   decided   that  the  prisoner  must  die.     Two  big  stones  were 

placed  in  front  of  the  chieftain,  and  Smith,  with  his  hands  tied  be 

hind  him,  was  brought  forward,  and  laid  on  his  back,  with  his  head 

resting  on  the  stones.     Two  brawny  warriors  advanced,  each  with  a 

huge  club,  and  were  about  to  dash  out  his  brains,  when  Pocahontas 

Smith      (  po-ka-horitas},  the  beautiful  young  daughter  of  Powhatan,  rushed 

Poca-      from  beside  her  father,  and  kneeling  with  her  arms  about  the  cap- 

faontas     tain's  neck,  begged  the  chief  to  spare  his  life.     Powhatan,  who  de 

votedly  loved  his  child,  was  so  touched  'by  her  appeal,  that  he  not 

only  spared  Smith,  but  sent  him  to  Jamestown  in  charge  of  an  escort. 

The  story  of  John  Smith  and  Pocahontas  is  one  of  the  most  pleas 
ing  and  romantic  in  the  early  history  of  our  country,  and  no  account 
of  the  colony  of  Virginia  would  be  complete  without  it.  Since 
Smith  did  not  make  the  episode  known  until  years  afterwards,  when 
*  »  his  dusky  friend  was  dead  —  and  even  then  it  was  doubted  on  account 
of  his  fondness  for  bragging  —  many  believe  that  the  interesting  ad 
venture  never  occurred,  but  it  must  have  had  some  foundation  in  fact 


CHAP,  ix      COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF   VIRGINIA 


115 


In  any  case,  it  will  do  no  harm  to  give  the  doughty  fellow  credit  for    PERIOD  11 
the  stirring  experience. 

Smith  had  been  absent  for  about  six  weeks  from  Jamestown,  and 
when  he  returned  he  found  matters  in  a  sad  condition.  The  little 
church  had  been  burned,  and  the  devoted  minister  held  services 
under  the  shelter  of  the  trees.  Only  forty  persons  were  left  alive, 
and  the  most  robust  members  were  about  to  abandon  the  settlement 


CAPTURE    OF   JOHN    SMITH    BY   THE    INDIANS 

and  flee  in  the  pinnace.  The  cheeriness  of  Smith,  his  energy  and 
his  tact,  caused  the  design  to  be  abandoned,  so  that  again,  it  may  be 
said,  he  saved  the  colony  from  ruin. 

Nothing  short  of  stern,  unflinching,  rigorous  rule  was  able  to  avert 
destruction.  This  aroused  so  much  hatred  among  the  malcontents 
that  they  charged  Smith  with  murder,  because  of  the  death  of  his 
companions  on  the  Chickahominy,  and,  incredible  as  it  may  seem, 
would  have  put  him  to  death,  had  not  Captain  Newport  at  this  crit- 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP.  IX 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 

SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Arrival 
ot 

Captain 
New 
port 
1608 


A  new 

Charter 

granted, 

May  23d, 

1609 


ical  juncture  arrived  from  England.  This  was  early  in  1608,  and 
though  the  immigrants  which  he  brought  were  of  no  better  character 
than  those  that  preceded  them,  his  arrival  was  the  occasion  of  much 
joy.  Of  the  one  hundred  and  twenty  men  with  him,  there  were  not  a 
half-dozen  who  were  of  assistance  in  reviving  the  colony.  They 
were  chiefly  adventurers  and  "  gentlemen,"  who  had  the  tramp's  hor 
ror  of  work,  yet  were  eaten  up  with  a  frenzy  for  gold.  They  per 
suaded  Captain  Newport  to  load  his  vessel  with  worthless  yellow 
earth  (pyrites),  under  the  belief  that  it  was  the  long  looked-for  precious 
ore,  and  that  all  who  had  a  share  in  its  gathering  would  be  millionaires 
for  the  remainder  of  their  days.  Deep  was  their  chagrin  when  it 
was  tested  by  mineral  experts  in  London. 

The  second  vessel  of  Captain  Newport  was  delayed  so  long  in  the 
West  Indies  by  bad  weather  that  it  did  not  reach  Jamestown  until 
the  following  spring.  When  it  returned  to  England,  some  time  later, 
it  carried  a  noteworthy  cargo,  consisting  of  a  valuable  shipment  of 
cedar,  while  among  the  passengers  were  the  malignant  enemies  of 
John  Smith,  who  from  that  time  forward  ruled  without  opposition. 

Smith  sailed  up  many  of  the  streams  flowing  into  Chesapeake  Bay 
and  made  a  map  of  the  explored  region,  which  is  an  excellent  one, 
and  is  still  preserved  in  London.  The  captain,  however,  lost  patience 
when  Newport  came  again  with  seventy  immigrants  as  worthless  as 
those  that  had  come  before.  Furthermore,  the  London  Council 
ordered  Smith  to  send  back  ten  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  com 
modities  ;  a  lump  of  gold,  the  product  of  Virginia ;  to  find  a  passage 
to  the  South  Sea;  and  to  learn  all  about  the  lost  colony  of  Roanoke. 
Smith's  reply  to  these  absurd  instructions  was  that  all  the  settlers 
would  starve  to  death,  but  for  the  aid  of  the  Indians ;  that  the  immi 
grants  sent  over  were  not  only  good  for  nothing,  but  a  burden  upon 
the  community.  "  I  entreat  you  rather,"  Smith  wrote  to  the  Coun 
cil,  "  to  send  but  thirty  carpenters,  husbandmen,  gardeners,  fisher 
men,  blacksmiths,  masons,  and  diggers  of  trees'  roots,  well  provided, 
rather  than  a  thousand  such  as  we  have." 

The  Council  in  London  saw  that  a  change  was  necessary  in  the 
management  of  the  Virginia  colony,  which  from  the  first  had  been 
a  continual  expense.  The  interest  of  some  of  the  foremost  men  in 
England  was  enlisted,  and  King  James  granted  them  a  new  charter, 
May  23d,  1609.  The  grant  included  all  the  land  two  hundred  miles 
north  and  south  of  Point  Comfort,  and  all  the  islands  within  a 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ix 


PBXIOD  II 

IJOLONIZA- 

T.T3X  AND 

SCTTLE- 

MENT 

1602 
TO 

1758 


Scamps 
and  Va 
grants  as 
Colonists 


hundred  miles  of  the  coast,  with  the  Pacific  Ocean  as  the  western 
boundary. 

Among  the  duties  of  the  Council  in  London  was  the  naming  of 
the  rulers  in  Virginia.  The  malcontents,  whom  Smith  had  treated 
so  severely,  were  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  and  they  made 
their  influence  felt  to  the  extent  of  selecting  a  new  president,  in  the 
person  of  Lord  De  la  Warr,"*  who,  fortunately,  was  worthy  of  the 
responsible  trust. 

The  new  company  fitted  out  nine  ships,  with  five  hundred  immi 
grants,  and  an  abundance  of  stores.  They  sailed  for  Virginia  in 
June,  1609,  under  command  of  Captain  Newport.  Lord  De  la  Warr 
was  not  ready  to  go  with  the  fleet,  and  Sir  Thomas  Gates,  his 
deputy,  Sir  George  Somers,  admiral  of  Virginia,  and  Captain  New 
port,  were  commissioned  to  administer  the  government  until  the 
arrival  of  Lord  De  la  Warr.  Unfortunately,  the  question  of  pre 
cedence  among  the  three  commissioners  was  not  fixed,  so  Somers 
and  Gates  agreed  to  sail  in  the  ship  with  Newport,  and  leave  the 
matter  to  be  settled  afterwards. 

The  Sea-  Venture,  as  she  was  called,  was  caught  in  a  hurricane, 
separated  from  the  rest  of  the  fleet,  and  wrecked  on  one  of  the  Ber 
muda  islands.  A  second  vessel  went  down;  but  the  other  seven 
reached  Jamestown,  with  a  large  number  of  domestic  fowls,  goats, 
sheep,  swine,  and  horses,  and  the  worst  set  of  vagrants  with  which 
poor  Virginia  was  ever  afflicted.  Many  of  the  young  men  had  been 
so  vicious  at  home  that,  as  a  last  hope,  their  friends  shipped  them  to 
America,  where  it  was  thought  they  might  be  compelled  to  be  good. 
Others  had  run  away  from  England  to  escape  punishment  for  their 
misdemeanors,  while  a  large  number  were  dissolute  gentlemen  or 
broken-down  tradesmen. 

Never  were  the  fine  character  and  personal  bearing  of  John  Smith 
manifested  more  strikingly  than  at  this  trying  crisis,  when,  had  he 
been  lacking  in  courage  and  resource,  the  colony  would  have  been 
engulfed  in  ruin.  Since  the  three  men  appointed  to  govern  James 
town  did  not  put  in  an  appearance,  the  "gentlemen"  proceeded  to- 
select  their  own  officers,  whereupon  Smith  informed  them  that  he 


*  Thomas  Sackville-West,  Lord  De  la  Warr,  second  governor  of  Virginia,  died  at 
sea  in  1618,  on  his  way  out  to  the  colony.  In  his  earlier  visits  to  Virginia,  he  is  said  to 
have  explored  the  estuary  and  river  which  bear  his  name — the  Delaware,  since  also  ap 
plied  to  the  State  of  Delaware. 


CHAP,  ix      COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF   VIRGINIA 

considered  it  his  duty  to  maintain  his  own  rule  until  the  arrival  of  PERIOD  n 
the  regularly  appointed  council,  regardless  of  their  views. 

Not  only  did  Smith  succeed  in  this,  but  he  held  the  vicious  in 

check  by  continually  devising  new  explorations,  and  finding  some-  l620 

thing  at  all  times  for  them  to  do.     Thus  he  preserved  fair  discipline  1758 
and  order,  which  ho  one  else  could  have  done,  until  autumn,  when 

he  was  so  seriously  injured  by  an  accidental  explosion  of  gunpowder,  Smith 

that  he  was  forced  to  go  to  England  for  surgical  treatment.     It  was  "et™8 

a  misfortune  for  Virginia  that  he  never  returned.     George  Percy  was  England, 

l6OO 

left  as  governor-in-charge.     He  was  a  man  of  good  character,  but  so 
lacking  in  firmness  that  he  proved  a  failure. 

The  winter  which  followed  was  the  most  calamitous  in  the  history 
of  the  colony.  The  men  indulged  in  every  excess,  ate  up  the  re 
maining  provisions,  and  treated  the  Indians  so  brutally  that  they  be- 
-came  bitterly  hostile.  They  formed  a  plot  for  massacring  every 
one  of  the  white  men,  and  would  have  done  so  had  not  Pocahontas 
•hurried  to  Jamestown,  through  storm  and  darkness,  with  a  warning 
to  Percy,  whose  preparations  against  attack  prevented  it  being  made. 
Saved  from  a  violent  death,  they  however  fell  a  prey  to  disease  and 
famine  which  fastened  their  fatal  grip  upon  the  wretched  settlers,  and 
they  died  by  the  score.  They  even  resorted  to  cannibalism,  and 
the  dead  far  outnumbered  the  living.  Of  the  five  hundred  whom 
Smith  left  behind,  only  sixty  were  alive  at  the  end  of  six  months.  The 
This  fearful  era  in  the  early  history  of  Virginia  is  known  as  "  the  Time, 
Starving  Time."  1609-10 

Meanwhile,  the  commissioners  and  their  fellow-voyagers,  who  had 
been  wrecked  in  the  Bermudas,  contrived  to  build  two  small  vessels, 
in  which  they  embarked  for  Virginia,  where  they  arrived  on  the  23d 
of  May,  1610.  Governor  Gates,  who,  it  was  agreed,  should  assume 
.charge-  of  affairs,  was  so  shocked  at  the  sights  which  met  his  gaze 
in  Jamestown  that  he  believed  the^only  way  of  saving  the  miserable 
beings  that  remained  was  to  abandon  the  settlement  and  take  them 
to  the  English  fishing-stations  of  Newfoundland.  He,  therefore, 
distributed  them  among  the  four  pinnaces  in  the  river,  together 
with  a  scanty  supply  of  provisions.  Then,  with  sad  hearts,  they 
turned  their  backs,  as  they  believed  forever,  upon  Jamestown, -the 
scene  of  so  much  suffering  and  sorrow,  praying  only  that  they  might 
live  long  enough  to  reach  some  spot  where  friends  would  minister  to 
their  wants. 


120 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ix 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1620 

TO 

1758 


Arrival 

of  Lord 

Dela 

Warr 


But  once  more  Providence  in 
terposed,  and    saved  the    settle 
ment  from  ruin.     At  the  mouth 
of  the  James,  the  colonists  saw 
ships  approaching,  and  to  their 
great    joy   discovered   that  they 
belonged  to    Lord   De  la  Warr. 
The   vessels,    three    in    number, 
contained   a  goodly  contin 
gent    of   sturdy  immi 
grants,    together    with 
an    abundance 
of  provisions 
and    other 
needful  sup 
plies.       De 
la     Warr 
himself  was 
o  n     board, 
and  he  show 
ed  himself  to 
be   one   of    the 
best  and  wisest 
rulers  that  col 
onial     Virginia 


SMITH    TRADING    WITH   THE    INDIANS 


ever  had.  Gladly  all  turned  about 
and  made  their  way  back  to  James 
town,  where  they  gathered  in  the 
new  unfinished  church  and  joined  in  thanking  God  for  His  great 
mercy.  As  their  songs  of  praise  rang  through  the  forest  arches,  a 
number  of  Indians  were  seen  peeping  from  tiehind  the  trees,  and 
listening  and  looking  with  wonder  upon  the  strange  scene. 

Lord  De  la  Warr  commanded  the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  by 
his  admirable  though  brief  administration ;  but  his  health  failed,  and 
he  was  compelled  to  sail  for  England  in  the  spring  of  161 1.  Percy 
once  more  assumed  the  reins  of  government ;  but  Sir  Thomas  Dale, 
arriving  soon  after  with  supplies,  became  governor,  and  ruled  wisely 
and  well.  More  immigrants,  and  now  of  an  excellent  class,  were 
sent  over,  and  for  the  first  time  Virginia  took  on  an  air  of  prosper 
ity.  When  Gates  assumed  the  governorship,  Dale  ascended  the 
James  River  and  planted  settlements  where  Richmond  now  stands,  and 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Appomattox  River.  These  offshoots  flourished 


CHAP,  ix      COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF   VIRGINIA 


121 


and  Gates  and  Dale  wrought  in  harmony,  while  the  colonists  showed 
enterprise,  industry,  and  an  appreciation  of  their  advantages. 

A  third  charter  was  now  granted  to  the  Company,  which  permitted 
its  powers  to  be  divided  ;n  an  equitable  manner  among  all  the  mem 
bers.  An  important  feature  of  this  charter  allowed  every  man  to 
cultivate  three  acres  of  the  soil  for  his  personal  use.  Until  then  the 
land  had  been  tilled  in  common,  so  that  the  lazy  lived  upon  the  in 
dustrious.  Now  the  real  prosperity  of  the  colony  began. 

Tobacco  had  been  introduced  into  England  some  years  before,  and 
it  became  so  popular  that  nearly  everybody  in  Jamestown  turned  his 
attention  to  its  cultivation.  The  prices  realized  in  the  English  mar 
ket  upon  the  product  were  so  good  that  an  ample  profit  was  afforded, 
and  the  tilling  of  corn  and  the  other  cereals  was,  in  consequence,  neg 
lected.  Even  the  streets  of  Jamestown  were  piled  up  with  the  big 
green  leaves,  and  the  council  was  obliged  to  restrict  its  cultivation. 

In  a  previous  chapter,  it  will  be  recalled,  mention  was  made  of 
Captain  Argall,  the  freebooter,  who  burned  the  French  settlements 
in  Acadia.  Previous  to  undertaking  that  lawless  expedition,  he  went 
on  a  cruise  up  the  James  River.  He  invited  Pocahontas  on  board 
his  vessel,  when,  in  accordance  with  the  Spanish  rule,  he  made 
her  a  prisoner  and  took  her  to  Jamestown.  He  expected  her  father 
to  ransom  her  with  a  large  quantity  of  corn ;  but  the  furious  Pow- 
hatan  refused  to  treat  with  the  pirate,  and  prepared  to  go  to  war. 
.  During  these  stormy  weeks,  when  so  grave  a  danger  hung  over 
Jamestown,  John  Rolfe,  who  belonged  to  a  good  English  family,  fell 
in  love  with  Pocahontas,  and  she  reciprocated  his  affection.  She  was 
a  pagan,  and  he  a  Christian,  but  their  love  for  each  other  was  none  the 
less  tender  and  true.  He  strove  to  explain,  as  far  as  he  could,  the 
mysteries  of  his  faith  to  her,  and  she  was  an  apt  pupil.  She  ac 
cepted  the  Christian  religion  and  asked  to  be  baptized. 

In  the  quaint  little  chapel  of  Jamestown,  whose  columns  were 
shaggy  pine  trunks  from  the  forest,  whose  pews  were  of  fragrant 
cedar,  and  whose  pulpit  and  communion-table  were  of  black  walnut, 
the  dusky  maiden  knelt  before  the  font  "hewn  hollow  between  like 
a  canoe,"  and,  uttering  the  responses  in  broken  English,  was  baptized 
and  given  the  name  of  Rebecca. 

The  marriage  of  Rolfe  and  Pocahontas  took  place  in  April,  1613. 
Powhatan  readily  consented  to  the  alliance,  and  sent  his  brother  to 
give  away  his  daughter,  in  accordance  with  the  Anglican  ritual.  It 


PERIOD  II 

COLON  IZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1620 

TO 
1758 


A  Third 

Charter 

granted, 

1611- 

1612 


Marriage 
of  Poca 
hontas, 

April, 

1613 


122 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ix 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 

SETTLE 
MENT 
1620 

TO 

1758 


Death 

of  Poca- 

hontas, 

1617 


was  a  memorable  day,  as  may  be  supposed,  in  the  annals  of  James 
town,  with  a  touching  beauty  all  its  own.  The  windows  were  hung 
with  festoons  of  evergreens,  amid  which  gleamed  sweet  wild  flov.ers 
and  crimson  holly  berries.  A  cloth  of  spotless  white  linen  covered 
the  communion-table,  and  on  it  stood  bread  from  the  wheat-fields 
and  wine  from  the  native  grapes. 

It  may  be  doubted  whether  a  single  adult  in  Jamestown  was  absent 
from  the  ceremony.  Sir  Thomas  Gates  beamed  with  happiness, 
while  the  dusky  countenances  of  the  brothers  of  Pocahontas  and  of 
other  youths  and  maidens  of  the  forest  glowed  with  sympathetic 
and  abounding  pleasure. 

When  the  bride  and  groom  slowly  entered  the  church,  she  was 
seen  to  be  dressed  in  a  simple  tunic  of  white  muslin,  and  her  shapely 
arms  were  bare  to  the  shoulder.  Her  rich  robe,  which  she  herself 
had  embroidered,  was  a  present  from  Sir  Thomas  Dale.  Her 
stately  head,  with  its  wealth  of  raven  hair,  was  encircled  by  a  fillet, 
filled  with  the  brilliant  plumage  of  birds,  and  holding  in  its  fasten 
ings  a  fleecy  veil ;  while  her  wrists  and  ankles  were  girdled  with  a 
few  simple  articles  of  jewelry.  Pocahontas  was  very  beautiful,  but 
showed  a  becoming  modesty  and  simplicity  throughout  the  impres 
sive  and  touching  ceremony. 

Naturally,  the  bride  was  the  most  interesting  personage  in  the 
church,  but  the  groom  was  entitled  to  compliment,  for  he  had  a 
manly  figure  and  pleasing  countenance.  He  was  attired  as  an  Eng 
lish  cavalier,  and  wore  a  short  sword  upon  his  thigh  as  an  emblem  of 
distinction.  Standing  upon  the  chancel  steps,  where  there  was- no 
railing,  the  minister  with  impressive  voice  and  manner  read  the 
marriage  service  of  the  Anglican  church  which  made  the  European 
and  the  American  husband  and  wife. 

This  happy  union  brought  peace,  and  made  Powhatan  the  friend  of 
the  settlers  for  the  remainder  of  his  life.  When  Governor  Dale 
sailed  for  England,  ii  1616,  Rolfe  and  "  Lady  Rebecca"  (for  was  she 
not  the  daughter  of  a  king?)  and  a  number  of  their  friends  went  with 
him.  She  received  marked  attentions  from  the  court  and  the  highest 
dignitaries  in  the  kingdom.  One  of  her  happy  experiences,  during 
the  year  she  spent  in  England,  was  a  meeting  with  Captain  John 
Smith,  whom  she  called  "  father,"  and  who  was  as  delighted  to  meet 
her  as  she  was  pleased  to  see  him. 

When  Pocahontas  was  making  ready  to  return  to  America,  she  un- 


FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  DRAWING  BY  JOSEPH    LAUBER 

MARRIAGE    OF    POCAHONTAP 


124 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ix 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1620 

TO 

1758 


Introduc 
tion  of 
African 
Slavery, 
1619 


happily  fell  ill  and  died.  Her  son,  Thomas  Rolfe,  became  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  Virginia,  and  there  is  no  prouder  lineage  to-day 
in  the  Old  Dominion  than  that  which  leads  back  through  the  centu 
ries  to  the  dusky  daughter  of  Powhatan. 

When  Dale  embarked  for  England,  he  left  Argall  as  deputy  gover 
nor;  but  he  was  a  rogue,  and  escaped  only  by  flight  the  execution  of 
the  order  of  arrest  sent  across  the  ocean.  George  Yeardley  then  be 
came  governor,  and  showed  himself  to  be  so  excellent  a  ruler  and  so 
just  a  man  that  the  prosperity  of  the  colony  brightened.  During  his 
administration,  in  1619,  the  London  Company  sent  out  one  hundred 
poor  but  respectable  young  women,  who  were  anxious  to  seek  their 
fortunes  in  the  New  World.  No  visitors  ever  received  a  more  cor 
dial  welcome,  and  they  were  not  kept  waiting  for  husbands.  Each 
man  who  found  favor  in  the  eyes  of  one  of  the  lasses  could  wed  her 
only  by  paying  the  price  of  her  passage,  which  was  a  certain  number 
of  pounds  of  tobacco.  Other  young  women  continued  to  arrive,  with 
this  happy  result,  that  the  settlers,  who  all  along  had  harbored  the.- 
intention  of  returning  at  some  time  to  England,  now  gave  up  that 
purpose  and  came  to  look  upon  Virginia  as  their  home,  where  all 
their  hopes  and  interests  now  centred. 

It  was  in  the  same  year  (1619),  that  another  vessel  sailed  up  the 
James,  with  a  very  different  cargo.  She  had  some  twenty  negroes 
who  had  been  kidnapped  by  a  Dutch  captain  on  the  coast  of 
Guinea,  in  Africa.  He  brought  the  wre'.ched  beings  to  Jamestown 
with  the  hope  of  selling  them  as  slaves.  The  settlers,  who  were  ab 
sorbed  in  the  cultivation  of  tobacco,  gladly  paid  the  price  demanded 
for  this  human  freight,  and  thus  it  was  that  the  baleful  institution  of 
African  slavery  was  introduced  into  this  country. 

The  wise  and  thoughtful  Yeardley  saw  that  the  settlers  were  long 
ing  for  the  same  freedom  that  their  fellow-subjects  enjoyed  in  Eng 
land.  With  the  consent  of  the  London  Council,  he  made  a  radical 
change  in  the  political  system  then  prevailing,  by  dividing  the  settle 
ments  into  eleven  boroughs,  each  of  which  had  two  representatives 
chosen  by  the  people.  These  representatives,  or  burgesses,  formed 
with  the  governor  and  council  the  colonial  government.  The  Lon 
don  authorities  now  gave  a  written  constitution  to  the  colony.  It 
required  that  all  laws  passed  by  the  Virginian  council  should  be 
sent  to  England,  where  they  could  be  ratified  or  rejected,  while  the- 
laws  made  in  England  could  not  become  operative  in  America  until 


CHAP,  ix      COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF   VIRGINIA 


12$ 


approved  by  the  local  body.  This  council,  which  met  at  Jamestown,  PERIOD  11 
in  June,  1619,  was  called  the  House  of  Burgesses,  and  it  became  the 
first  legislative  assembly  to  perform  its  functions  in  the  New  World. 
Powhatan,  the  friend  of  the  settlers,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  brother  Opechankano,  a  treacherous  chief,  who  hated  the  Eng 
lish  intensely  and  began  plotting  their  destruction.  He  nursed  his 
schemes  with  great  cunning  and  skill,  meanwhile  deceiving  the 


INTRODUCTION    OF    AFRICAN    SLAVERY 

settlers  by  his  friendly  professions,  waiting  months  and  years  to 
complete  his  fell  designs.  In  March,  1622,  he  was  ready  to  deal 
the  blow  which  was  to  strike  terror  to  the  heart  of  txie  colony. 
Disaster  fell  upon  the  settlements  along  the  James  with  the  sud- 
denness  of  the  lightning  stroke.  Men  were  shot  down  in  the  fields  ; 
mothers  and  their  babes  were  tomahawked  ;  and  death  in  its  most 
violent  forms  raged  for  more  than  a  hundred  miles  along  both  sides 
of  the  river.  Within  one  hour  after  the  first  war-whoop  rang  out 


COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE- 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1751 


sacret 


126 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  i* 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 
TO 


An 

Illiberal 
Charter, 

1623 


Death  of 

King 

James, 

March 

27th, 

1625 


CHARLES    I 


through  the  forest,  four  hundred  men,  women,  and  children  fell  victims 
to  the  Indian  greed  of  blood. 

Jamestown  escaped  through  the  favor  of  a  Christian  native,  who 
learned  of  the  intended  massacre  late  on  the  evening  preceding  its 
occurrence.  He  hurried  to  the  settlement,  where  preparations  were 

hastily  made  and  messengers  sent  out  to 
warn  the  plantations.  Most  of  these  were 
so  remote  that  it  was  impossible  to  reach 
them  in  time ;  but  the  majority  of  the  col 
onists  beat  back  their  assailants  and  were 
saved.  The  Indians  were  made  to  suffer 
fearful  punishment  for  this  outrage.  The 
infuriated  settlers  now  became  the  aggres 
sors.  Every  man  who  knew  how  to  handle 
a  gun  took  the  field,  and  the  savages  were 
hunted  down  with  merciless  rigor.  They 
were  slaughtered  right  and  left  and  driven 
into  the  depths  of  the  wilderness,  the  chief,  Opechankano,  narrowly 
escaping  with  his  life.  Twenty  years  happily  passed  before  there 
was  any  more  trouble  with  the  red  men. 

When  the  stricken  colony  again  took  heart,  King  James  became 
displeased  at  the  growth  of  republican  sentiment  in  Virginia.  The 
people  there  had  a  way  of  speaking  their  mind  very  plainly,  and 
some  of  them  were  bold  enough  to  think  that  the  privileges  accorded 
to  them  were  no  more  than  their  rights.  So,  in  October,  1623,  the 
monarch  replaced  the  charter  with  another,  much  less  liberal  in  its 
provisions.  The  government  was  lodged  in  the  hands  of  the  gover 
nor  and  twelve  deputies  to  be  appointed  by  the  king,  all  of  whom 
had  to  reside  in  England,  while  the  executive  power  in  Virginia  was 
vested  in  a  council  of  twelve,  named  by  the  governor  and  his  col 
leagues,  but  the  appointments  had  first  to  receive  the  king's  assent. 
The  House  of  Burgesses  refused  to  accept  this  charter;  but  the 
king  persisted,  and  cancelled  the  patent  of  the  colony,  which  once 
more  became  a  royal  province.  The  king,  however,  made  an  unex 
pectedly  wise  use  of  his  power ;  but  before  he  could  complete  a  number 
of  reforms  he  had  in  view  he  died,  March  27th,  1625,  and  was  suc 
ceeded  by  his  son,  Charles  I.  This  monarch  gave  back  to  Virginia 
its  favorite  go-.ornor,  Sir  George  Yeardley,  he  who  had  established 
the  House  of  Burgesses,  but,  to  the  grief  of  all,  he  died  two  years 


.  ix      COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    VIRGINIA 


afterwards.     Most  of  the  governors  who  were  at  the  head  of  affairs 
during  the  next  half-century  were  good,  and  Virginia  prospered. 

Some  years  after  this,  Opechankano,  in  spite  of  the  lesson  that 
had  been  taught  him,  and  the  loss  of  hundreds  of  his  warriors,  again 
dared  the  anger  of  the  settlers.  An  Indian,  we  know,  however,  is 
revengeful  by  nature,  and  this  chief  nursed  his  ire  for  nearly  twenty 
years.  He  had  now  become  a  very  old  man,  more  than  fourscore 
and  ten  years  of  age,  but  the  fire  of  hatred  burned  as  fiercely  in  his 
breast  as  when  he  first  buried  his  tomahawk  in  the  head  of  the  inno 
cent  babe  and  in  the  heart  of  the  pleading  mother. 

The  second  outbreak  occurred  April  i8th,  1644.  Three  hundred 
colonists  were  slain,  when  the  remainder  rallied  and  fell  upon  their 
dusky  foes  with  the  same 
relentless  fury  as  before. 
Opechankano  was  taken 
prisoner,  and  died  in  James 
town  while  a  captive.  The 
Indians,  as  the  price  of 
peace,  gave  up  a  large  tract 
of  land  and  withdrew  still 
farther  from  the  neighbor 
hood  of  '  the  settlements, 
where  at  that  time  the  col 
onists  numbered  twenty 
thousand.  Virginia  did  not 
hesitate  to  show  her  loyalty 
to  the  royal  house  of  Eng 
land  during  the  troublous 
times  of  Cromwell.  When 
Charles  I.  was  beheaded,  the 
Virginians  recognized  his 
exiled  son  as  the  lawful  sov 
ereign,  and  were  the  last 
subjects  to  submit  to  the 
commonwealth  which  succeeded  the  now  discredited  monarchy. 

With  the  view  of  bringing  the  colony  to  a  sense  of  its  duty,  Crom 
well,  in  1652,  sent  a  well-manned  fleet  to  Virginia.  With  the  threat 
of  dire  things  that  would  be  done  if  she  held  out,  the  commissioners 
offered  such  liberal  concessions  for  the  simple  declaration  of  alle- 


THE    WARNING 


PERIOD  It 

COLON  ifjw- 

TION  AN1> 

SETTLB- 

MKNT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Second 

Indian 
Mas- 
sacre> 
April 
i8th, 
1644 


128  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ix 

PERIOD  ii    glance  that  they  were  accepted.     Charles  II.  ascended  the  throne  in 
COLONIZA-    1660.  and  in  remembrance  of  the  loyalty  of  the  Virginians  he  or- 

TION  AND  f 

SMKK?"  dered  the  arms  of  the  province  to  be  quartered  with  those  of  Eng- 
1602  land,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  as  an  independent  member  of  the  em- 
1758  .  ^^^^^^  pire.  It  is  because  of  this  fact  that  Vir 

ginia  received  the  title  of,  and  became 
known  as,  the  "  Old  Dominion."  Sir 
William  Berkeley,  who  showed  his  adher 
ence  to  the  English  monarchy  by  accepting 
his  commission  from  the  exiled  prince  in 
stead  of  from  Cromwell,  was  reflected 
governor,  and  his  second  commission  was 
signed  by  the  same  hand,  which  now  ruled 
as  Charles  II.  of  England.  As  Berkeley 
grew  older  he  became  bigoted,  tyrannical, 
OLIVER  CROMWELL  an(j  heartless.  In  one  of  his  reports  these 

words  occur  :  "  I  thank  God  there  are  no  free  schools  nor  printing 
in  Virginia,  and  I  hope  we  shall  not  have  them  these  hundred  years  ; 
for  learning  has  brought  heresy  and  disobedience  and  sects  into  the 
world,  and  printing  has  divulged  them  and  libels  against  the  best 
government.  God  keep  us  from  both  !" 

The  The   Navigation  Act  bore  vexatiously  upon  Virginia.     This  re- 

tion  Act,  quired  that  all  colonial   commerce,  whether  of  exports  or  imports, 
1660      should  be  carried  in  British  ships  :    it  also  heavily  taxed  the  trade 
between  the  colonies,  and  forbade  the  exportation  of  tobacco  to  any 
country  save  England.     But  despite  all  this,  Virginia,  in  1670,  had 
a  population  of  forty  thousand  persons,  including  two  thousand  slaves, 
while  eighty  ships  were  engaged  in  the  tobacco  trade.     The  militia 
numbered  eight  thousand  ;  there  was  a  fort  on  the  Potomac,  one  on 
the  York,  another  on  the  Rappahannock,  and  two  on  the  James. 
Virginia        Founded  in  1660,  the  Assembly  of  Virginia  prevented  for  sixteen 
the  Res-   years  the  election  of  any  new  members,  preserving  its  own  power  of 
adjournment  and  coming  together.      In   1673,  the  king  gave  all  of 


English    Virginia  to  the  Earl  of  Arlington  and  Lord  Culpeper  for  the  term  of 

tion       thirty-one  years.     The  alarmed  colonists  sent  a  protest  to  the  king, 

but  without  avail.     Naturally,  two  parties  were  the  outgrowth  of  this 

state  of  affairs.     One  consisted  of  Governor  Berkeley  and  his  fol- 

•   lowers,  who  were  staunch  royalists,  and  who  oppressed  the  colonists 

in  every  way  possible  ;  the  other  was  composed  of  those  who  suffered 


CHAP,  ix      COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF   VIRGINIA 


129 


CHARLES   II 


from  this  injustice,  including  the  more  thoughtful  members  of  the 
council,  who  saw  ruin  and  civil  war  at  hand. 

The  tyranny  of  Berkeley  and  his  pliant  council  became  intoler 
able.  Appeals  to  the  king  being  useless,  the  colonists  in  their  des 
peration  were  on  the  point  of  revolting, 
when  the  pretext  for  which  they  longed 
presented  itself.  The  Indians  invaded 
Virginia  from  the  north,  and  everywhere 
spread  death  and  consternation.  Sir 
Henry  Chicheley,  the  lieutenant-gover 
nor,  made  his  preparations  in  the  spring 
of  1675  to  march  against  them.  He  had 
gathered  a  force  of  five  hundred  men,  and 
all  was  ready,  when  orders  were  received 
from  Governor  Berkeley  disbanding  the 
volunteers.  The  exasperated  settlers 
obeyed.  The  charge  was  made,  doubtless 
with  truth,  that  the  governor  was  anxious  to  keep  the  monopoly  of 
the  beaver  trade  with  the  Indians,  and  meant  to  favor  them,  regard 
less  of  the  safety  of  the  people.  The  savages  became  bolder  than 
ever,  and  slew  men,  women,  and  children  with  the  ferocity  which 
they  had  shown  when  led  by  the  fierce  Opechankano. 

Nathaniel  Bacon,  a  brave  and  popular  young  planter,  who  owned 
several  holdings  on  the  James,  felt  that  something  must  be  done  or  the 
exposed  settlers  would  perish.  He  and  a  number  of  his  friends  asked 
the  governor  for  leave  to  arm  themselves,  but  this  Berkeley  refused. 
Bacon  denounced  his  action,  and  told  his  neighbors  that  he  was  ready 
to  lead  them  against  the  raiding  savages  without  the  governor's 
leave.  He  declared  further,  that  on  news  reaching  him  of  the  first 
outrage  he  would  call  for  volunteers  to  punish  their  enemies. 

The  next  tidings  that  came  to  Bacon's  ears  was  that  the  Indians 
had  raided  one  of  his  own  plantations  near  Richmond,  and  killed  a 
servant  and  his  overseer.  To  the  excited  colonists  who  now  gath 
ered,  Bacon  again  denounced  the  governor,  and  declared  that  the 
choice  was  left  of  sitting  down  and  waiting  for  the  Indians  to  toma 
hawk  them  all,  or  to  defend  themselves. 

The  Virginians  responded  almost  to  a  man,  and  placed  Bacon  at 
their  head.  He  asked  the  governor  for  a  commission,  but  it  was  de 
nied.  Then  Bacon  marched  against  the  Indians  without  the  for* 

9 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AN» 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Bacon's 

Re 
bellion, 
1675-76 


TION  AND 


1 30  HISTORY    OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP.  »; 

PERIOD  ii  mality  of  a  commission.  Berkeley  turned  purple  with  anger,  and 
proclaimed  Bacon  a  rebel,  and  ordered  him  to  disperse  his  men. 
Bacon  told  those  who  were  alarmed  at  the  governor's  proclamation 
that  they  were  at  liberty  to  go  home.  So  many  timidly  did  so  that 
1758  the  -young  Virginian  was  left  with  but  fifty-seven  volunteers.  With 
those,  however,  he  set  out  to  punish  the  marauders. 

Meanwhile,  the  furious  Berkeley  did  not  content  himself  with 
words,  but  at  the  head  of  a  troop  of  horse  started  in  pursuit  of 
Bacon.  Before  he  came  up  with  the  rebels  a  messenger  overtook 
the  governor  with  news  that  the  lower  settlements  had  revolted. 
This  "  fire  in  the  rear"  compelled  Berkeley  to  turn  back  and  give  his 
attention  to  matters  of  more  importance.  When  he  reached  James 
town,  he  found  the  clamor  so  vehement  for  a  reduction  of  taxes  and 
the  dissolution  of  the  assembly,  that,  loth  as  he  was  to  do  so,  he  was 
obliged  to  grant  both  demands. 

During   these   stirring  days,   Bacon   was   striking   telling   blows 
against   the    Indians.     He  almost  rooted  out   the  offending  tribe, 
Bacon     after  which  he  returned  and  disbanded  his  company.     In  the  elec- 
Burgess,  tion  which  followed,  Bacon  was  chosen  to  a  seat  in  the  House  of 
and  made  3urgesses  from  Henrico  county,  and  was  elected  commander-in-chief 
mander-    of  the  militia ;  •  but  Berkeley,  still  full  of  animus,  refused  to  sign  the 
commission.     Bacon,  having  retired  to  his  plantation,  was  followed  by 
several  hundred  friends,  who,   despite  the  governor's  action,   pro 
claimed  him  the  lawful  commander-in-chief.     Backed  in  this  impos 
ing  fashion,  Bacon  led  his  force  to  Jamestown,  and  demanded  of  the 
governor  that  he  should  no  longer  delay  to  sign  the  commission. 

The  humiliation  was  too  deep  to  be  borne.     Striding  out  in  front 

of  the  insurgents,  the  savage  Berkeley  smote  his  breast  and  shouted : 

"  Shoot !  shoot !  if  you  wish !     I  offer  you  a  fair  mark !"     Bacon  ap- 

Alter-     proached,  and  bowing  respectfully,  said  :  "  Not  a  hair  of  your  head, 

^th^th     s*r>  sn^l  ke  harmed ;  I  have  come  for  a  commission  that  we  may 

Governor  take  measures  to  save  our  lives  from  the  Indians." 

The  governor  became  cooler  after  a  time,  and,  urged  by  his  friends, 
signed  the  commission,  as  well  as  ratified  the  acts  of  the  House  of 
Burgesses,  by  which  the  right  of  voting  was  restored  to  every  frefc- 
man  in  the  province,  guilty  magistrates  were  punished,  and  a  numbei 
of  reform  measures  made  effective.  It  is  worth  noting  that  all  this 
was  done  exactly  one  hundred  years  before  the  signing  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence. 


-HAP.  ix      COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF   VIRGINIA 


The  Indians  having  renewed  their  outrages,  Bacon  placed  himself    PERIOD  11 
at  the  head  of  the  Virginian  forces  and  once  more  marcned  against 
them.     Hardly  had  he  set  out,  when  the  faithless  Berkeley  crossed 
the  York  River  into  Gloucester  (glos'ter)  county,  and  proclaimed 
Bacon  a  traitor.     He  also  gathered  his  friends  around   him,  and 


TION   AND 

SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


SHOOT  I    SHOOT  1    IF    YOU    WISH" 

among  them  a  large  number  of  slaves,  to  whom  he  promised  freedom 
and  plenty  of  plunder  for  their  help  in  punishing  the  rebels. 

Bacon  felt  that  the  governor  had  pushed  him  into  a  revolution. 
He  asked  the  Virginians  to  meet  at  the  Middle  Plantations — now 
Williamsburg — to  decide  what  should  be  done.  They  came  together 
at  noon  on  a  sultry  August  day,  and  continued  their  earnest  session 
until  midnight.  All  pledged  themselves  to  support  their  leader  in 
his  movement  against  the  Indians  and  to  prevent  civil  war.  Among 
the  prominent  men  who  took  part  in  this  assemblage  was  John  Wash 
ington,  great-grandfather  of  GEORGE  WASHINGTON.  Another. was 
William  Drummond,  first  governor  of  North  Carolina,  who  proposed 
that  the  departure  of  Governor  Berkeley  from  Jamestown  should  be 
declared  an  abdication  or  giving  up  of  the  government.  This  decla 


Con 
certed 
Action 
of  the 
Colon 
ists 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ix 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


James 
town 


the 
flames 


Death  of 

Bacon, 

Oct.  nth, 

1676 


Colonel 

Jeffrey's 

Rule, 

1677- 

1678 


ration  was  made,  and  Bacon  and  four  other  members  of  the  provincial 
council  issued  writs  for  the  election  of  an  assembly  to  provide  for  a 
new  government. 

At  this  critical  juncture  an  unexpected  piece  of  good  fortune  came 
to  the  governor.  Five  English  ships  and  ten  sloops  arrived.  Upon 
these  Berkeley  embarked  his  motley  company  of  adventurers,  slaves, 
sailors,  and  even  Indians,  sailed  for  Jamestown,  and  again  proclaimed 
Bacon  a  traitor.  The  latter  had  just  returned  from  a  successful  cam 
paign  against  the  Indians.  In  command  of  his  followers  he  marched 
to  Jamestown,  when  the  cowardly  governor  skurried  on  board  the 
boats  again,  and  Bacon  and  his  followers  entered  Jamestown.  Not 
knowing  how  soon  they  would  be  driven  out,  a  council  of  war  was 
held,  at  which  it  was  decided  to  burn  the  place  to  prevent  its  afford 
ing  shelter  to  the  obnoxious  royalists.  Drummond,  who  owned  one 
of  the  finest  residences  in  the  village,  applied  the  torch  to  his  own 
dwelling.  All  that  remains  to-day  of  the  first  English  settlement 
planted  in  America  are  the  ruins  of  the  church  tower  and  a  few 
tombstones  in  the  graveyard  near-by. 

Many  of  Berkeley's  supporters  now  deserted,  and  joined  Bacon, 
who  determined  to  cross  the  Chesapeake  and  drive  the  royalists  out 
of  Virginia.  When  everything  promised  success  to  the  insurgents, 
Bacon  was  seized  with  a  malignant  fever  and  died,  October  I  ith,  1676. 
There  was  no  one  fitted  to  succeed  him,  and  the  rebellion  quickly 
ended.  Before  the  close  of  the  month  Berkeley  was  again  at  the 
head  of  the  government,  and  displayed  much  malignity  in  punishing 
those  who  had  taken  part  in  the  insurrection.  Drummond  and 
twenty-one  others  were  hanged,  three  died  in  prison,  and  five,  con 
demned  to  death,  effected  their  escape.  Even  Berkeley's  supporters 
protested,  and  King  Charles  ordered  the  executions  to  stop.  "  The 
old  fool  has  taken  more  lives  in  that  naked  country,"  said  the  mon 
arch,  "  than  I  have  done  here  for  the  murder  of  my  father."  Berke 
ley  was  recalled  in  the  following  spring.  Upon  his  departure  the 
colonists  lighted  bonfires  and  fired  cannon  to  express  their  joy. 
Berkeley  was  severely  condemned  in  England  for  his  brutalities,  and 
soon  died  of  mortification  and  chagrin. 

Colonel  Herbert  Jeffreys  now  arrived  as  the  successor  of  Berkeley, 
and  he  and  Admiral  Sir  John  Berry  and  Colonel  Morrison  were  ap 
pointed  commissioners  to  inquire  into  the  facts  regarding  the  late 
rebellion  and  to  adjust  affairs.  Something  resembling  order  was  re- 


FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  DRAWING  BY  C.    M.    RALYEA 

BURNING    OF    JAMESTOWN 


134 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ix 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 

SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Cul- 
peper's 
Rule, 
1680- 
1684 


Found 
ing  of 
William 
and 
Mary 
College, 
1693 


established,  only  the  most  guilty  of  the  insurgents  being  punished, 
after  which  a  general  amnesty  was  declared. 

Lord  Culpeper,  one  of  the  king's  favorites,  to  whom  the  province 
had  been  leased  for  thirty-one  years,  was  now  appointed  governor, 
with  a  salary  double  that  paid  to  any  predecessor.  Nevertheless,  the 
earl  remained  at  home  for  three  years,  having  little  fancy  for  the 
office  given  to  him,  and  indeed  never  would  have  set  out  for  America 
had  not  the  king  ordered  him  to  do  so.  He  stayed  in  Virginia 
through  the  summer,  during  which  he  lived  the  life  of  a  profligate, 
plundered  the  colonists  right  and  left,  and  robbed  them  of  many  of 
their  dearest  privileges,  after  which  he  returned  to  England,  to  ex 
pend  in  riotous  living  the  money  he  had  stolen  from  the  people. 
He  was  sent  back  to  the  colony  in  1682,  and  renewed  his  former 
excesses,  or  rather  surpassed  them,  and  another  insurrection  broke 
out.  His  reports  of  the  occurrences  caused  the  king  to  issue  orders 
for  the  hanging  of  the  leading  insurgents.  When,  however,  the 
monarch  learned  the  truth,  he  recalled  the  grant  to  Culpeper  and  Ar 
lington,  and  Virginia  once  more  became  a  royal  province. 

The  Old  Dominion  was  doomed  to  suffer  a  blight  from  bad  rulers. 
Lord  Howard  of  Effingham,  the  successor  of  Culpeper,  was  as  avari 
cious  as  a  miser  and  totally  lacking  in  moral  principle.  When  the 
tension  became  so  great  that  the  people  in  their  desperation  were 
about  to  appeal  to  arms  again,  news  arrived  of  the  death  of  King 
Charles  and  the  accession  of  his  brother,  the  Duke  of  York.  The 
colonists  sent  Philip  Leedwell  to  England  to  lay  their  case  before 
the  king.  He  arrived  at  about  the  time  that  William  and  Mary  were 
placed  on  the  throne.  Although  Effingham  held  the  title,  and  drew 
the  salary  as  governor  for  several  years,  he  was  not  allowed  to  return 
to  .Virginia. 

Francis  Nicholson  next  became  lieutenant-governor  of  the  prov 
ince.  He  had  learned  much  from  his  troublous  experiences  in 
New  York,  and  now  made  an  excellent  ruler.  He  manifested  such 
enlightened,  statesman-like  views  and  instituted  so  many  reforms 
and  improvements,  that  the  House  of  Burgesses  gratefully  presented 
him  with  three  hundred  pounds  beyond  his  official  salary.  Nicholson 
gave  one-half  of  it  towards  the  founding  of  the  William  and  Mary 
College,  the  second-oldest  educational  institution  in  the  country. 

Nicholson,  after  a  two-years'  lease  of  office,  returned  to  England, 
probably  in  hope  of  the  promotion  which  he  had  earned,  and  Sir 


CHAP,  ix     COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF   VIRGINIA 


135 


Edmund  Andros,  in  1692,  came  over  as  his  successor,  bringing  the 
charter  of  the  William  and  Mary  College  with  him.  He,  too,  had 
profited  by  experience,  and,  on  the  whole,  made  a  good  governor.* 

From  this  time  forward,  until  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  cen 
tury,  Virginia  advanced  in  prosperity  and  extended  her  population. 
Joist  Hite,  in  1732,  took  up  forty  thousand  acres,  near  the  site  of 
Winchester,  and  settled  it  with  a  colony  from  Pennsylvania.  Those 
who  came  after  them  penetrated  beyond  the  mountains,  a  number 
making  their  homes  in  the  valley  of  the  Monongahela.  Between 
1700  and  1750,  the  population  in  Virginia  increased  nearly  fivefold. 
Williamsburg  became  the  capital,  and  there,  in  1736,  William  Parks 
began  the  publication  of  a  weekly  newspaper.  The  towns  of  Rich 
mond  and  Petersburg  were  laid  out  by  William  Byrd,  and  Norfolk, 
Fredericksburg,  and  Falmouth  were  incorporated,  while  new  counties 
were  formed,  and  the  prosperity  of  the  historic  royal  province  of 
Virginia  continued  without  serious  check. 

*  Sir  Edmund  Andros  (b.  1637,  d.  1714)  was  a  protege  of  the  Duke  of  York,  after 
wards  James  II.,  and,  though  personally  of  an  unblemished  character,  he  upheld  the 
claims  and  gave  effect  to  the  arbitrary  policy  of  his  royal  but  tyrannous  master.  We 
shall  meet  with  him  again  in  the  next  chapter  in  connection  with  English  rule  in  New 
York,  of  which  colony  he  was  governor  from  167410  1682.  He  became  governor  of 
New  England  in  1686,  but,  three  years  afterwards,  the  Boston  magistracy  deposed  and 
imprisoned  him,  and  sent  him  for  trial  to  England.  There  he  was  released,  and  later  on, 
as  we  have  seen,  was  appointed  governor  of  Virginia.  In  1698,  he  was  recalled  to 
England,  and  subsequently  represented  the  Crown  in  one  of  the  Channel  Islands. 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AN» 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1002 

TO 
1758 


Governor 

Andros, 

1692- 

1698 


CHAPTER    X. 
THE  COLONIAL  HISTORY  OF  NEW   YORK. 

[Authorities:  The  annals  of  so  important  a  centre  as  New  York  can,  of  course,  only 
briefly  be  touched  upon  within  the  compass  of  a  single  chapter  in  the  present  narrative. 
For  the  minutiae  of  the  history,  social  as  well  as  political,  of  Manhattan  and  the' Middle 
Colonies,  the  reader  must  necessarily  be  referred  to  special  and  local  compilations. 
Perhaps  the  most  comprehensive  of  these  is  Mary  Lamb's  "  History  of  New  York,"  a 
mine  of  information  respecting  the  origin  and  later  development  of  the  Metropolis  from 
Hudson's  discovery  of  the  region,  through  the  period  of  Dutch  and  early  English  rule 
down  to  recent  times.  Stone's  "  New  York  City,"  Schuyler's  "  Colonial  New  York," 
O'Callaghan's  "  New  Netherlands,"  and  Lossing's  "Empire  State,"  give  delightful 
glimpses  of  the  social  and  economic  condition  of  the  New  Netherlands,  with  much  in' 
teresting  lore  concerning  New  Amsterdam  especially,  and  the  contiguous  region, 
southward  among  the  Swedish  colonies  on  the  Atlantic,  and  northward  among  the  Dutch 
settlements  on  the  Hudson.  Many  quaint  pictures  of  early  social  life  and  modes  of  gov 
ernment  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  will  also  be  found  in  Elting's  "Dutch  Village 
Communities,"  in  the  series  of  Johns  Hopkins'  University  Studies,  and  in  Gen.  James 
Grant  Wilson's  "  Memorial  History  of  the  City  of  New  York."] 

has  been  deemed  best,  in  relating  the  history  of 
the  thirteen  original  colonies,  to  do  so  in  the  order 
in  which  they  were  settled.  We  have  traced  the 
account  of  Virginia  from  the  first  settlement  within 
its  borders  down  to  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century ;  but  although  no  reference  has  been  made 
to  the  other  colonies,  the  reader  will  bear  in  mind 
that  during  that  period  (somewhat  less  than  a  hundred  and  fifty 
years)  twelve  other  colonies  had  been  planted  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  United  States.  Most  of  them  were  vigorous  and  flour 
ishing.  Naturally,  too,  the  interests  of  these  colonies  became  inter 
woven  with  each  other,  and,  as  will  be  seen  when  the  mutterings  of 
Revolution  were  heard  through  the  land,  they  were  drawn  still  closer, 


CHAP,  x      COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW   YORK 


137 


and  the  citizens  became  brothers,  with 
the  same  hopes  and  aspirations  stirring 
the  hearts  of  all. 

Now,  if  the  student  of  this  history 
will  let  his  mind  run  back  to  the  year 
1609,  he  will  recall  the  fact  that  the 
Old  Dominion  was  like  a  feeble  and 
dwindling  youth.  An  accident  to  John 
Smith,  the  Father  of  Virginia,  as  he  has 
been  called,  compelled  him  to  return  to 
England  for  surgical  treatment.  Left 
without  his  vigorous  and  wise  rule,  the 
miserable  colony  was  fast  hastening  to 
decay.  Seaward  rolled  the  turbulent 
Atlantic,  while  north,  west,  and  south 
stretched  an  unbroken  wilderness,  peo 
pled  by  wild  beasts  and  equally  wild 
red  men.  Nor  must  it  be  forgotten  that 
Jamestown  at  that  time  was  the  only 
English  colony  within  the  present  limits 
of  the  United  States. 

At  that  period,  Holland  had  become 
the  greatest  maritime  nation  in  the 
world.  Her  vessels  ploughed  every 
known  sea,  carrying  brooms  at  their 
mastheads  to  show  that  they  swept  the 
ocean ;  but  the  sturdy  Dutchmen  were 
of  a  frugal  mind.  They  cared  little  for 
the  glory  of  discovering  new  lands,  but 
cared  a  good, deal  for  the  profits  that  might  be  gained  from  such  dis 
coveries.  Thus  it  was  that  when  it  became  clear  that  a  vast  field  for 
trade  could  be  cultivated  in  America,  the  Dutch  began  to  feel  an  in 
terest  in  the  new  country. 

The  Dutch  East  India  Company  was  formed  about  the  beginning 
of  the  seventeenth  century.  It  was  a  very  wealthy  corporation,  com 
posed,  in  the  main,  of  the  leading  merchants  of  Amsterdam.  To 
them  went  Captain  Henry  Hudson,  who  had  hitherto  made  a  couple 
of  unsuccessful  attempts  to  find  a  polar  passage  to  India  for  a  com 
pany  of  London  merchants.  Hudson  was  an  able  navigator,  with  a 


PERIOD  II 


HISTORIC  WATERWAYS 


Holland 
during 

the 

Seven 
teenth 

Century 


The 

Dutch 

East 

India 

Company 


I38 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES      CHAP,  x 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


The 

voyage 

of  the 

"  Half 

Moon," 

1608 


Ascent 
of  the 
Hudson 
by  the 
"  Half 
Moon" 


special  fondness  for  adventure ;  and  so  when  he  made  his  appeal,  he  met 
with  little  trouble  in  persuading  the  directors  of  the  Dutch  East 
India  Company  that  an  arctic  passage  could  be  found  by  sailing  to  the 
northeast,  that  is,  round  the  north  of  Europe  instead  of  round  the 
north  of  America. 

Hudson  was  furnished  with  a  small  vessel  of  ninety  tons,  manned 
by  an  excellent  crew.  She  was  named  the  Half  Moon,  and  left 
Texel  in  April,  1608,  for  Nova  Zembla.  After  bumping  about 
among  the  icebergs,  which,  as  he  proceeded  on  his  way,  increased 
in  size  and  number,  he  was  compelled  once  more  to  turn  back.  Then 
he  tried  the  northwest  passage,  but  was  foiled  as  before,  and  now 
heading  southward,  sighted  the  coast  of  Maine  in  July,  1609.  After 
repairing  his  battered  vessel,  he  pushed  on,  still  southward,  touched 
at  Cape  Cod,  and  finally  reached  the  headlands  of  Virginia.  There 
he  probably  heard  that  the  English  had  made  a  settlement,  for  he 
now  turned  northward,  and  entered  the  harbor  of  New  York  early  in 
the  beautiful  autumnal  month  of  September. 

Here  he  saw  the  broad,  noble  stream,  the  "  Rhine  of  America," 
flowing  into  the  bay.  Confident  in  his  own  mind  that  it  was  a  strait 
connecting  with  the  Indian  Ocean,  he  ascended  it  a  short  distance 
and  anchored.  Hardly  had  he  done  so  when  the  natives  swarmed 
around  the  Half  Moon  in  their  canoes,  all  making  friendly  signs,  and 
eager  to  go  on  board.  Hudson,  however,  because  of  his  former  ex 
perience  with  Indians,  was  suspicious,  and  kept  them  at  a  distance. 
The  vessel  continued  leisurely  up  stream,  and  was  a  great  cause  of 
wonder  to  the  dusky  people  who  had  never  seen  or  imagined  so 
amazing  a  sight. 

This  was  the  first  time  a  white  man  had  ever  looked  upon  this 
river,  now  one  of  the  most  famous  in  the  world,  and  the  sail  of  the 
Half  Moon  up  the  stream  was  a  romantic  experience  to  both  the 
Dutch  and  the  English  sailors.  By  and  by,  Hudson  noticed  that  the 
river  was  narrowing  and  the  water  freshen  ing — two  facts  which  proved 
that  he  had  not  yet  discovered  the  longed-for  passage  to  India.  He 
sailed  up  the  river  to  the  vicinity  of  where  Albany  now  stands,  return 
ing  at  the  same  tardy  pace,  often  dropping  anchor  a  number  of  times 
and  bartering  with  the  Indians. 

It  will  be  understood  that  although  Captain  Hudson  was  an  Eng 
lishman,  he  sailed  under  the  Dutch  flag,  and  he,  therefore,  took  pos 
session  of  all  that  he  discovered  in  the  name  of  the  States-General 


COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW   YORK 


139 


of  Holland.      It  was  thus  that  that  country  acquired  its  well-founded    PERIOD  n 
claim  to  the  present  State  of  New  York.  ™LN  1™" 

The  fate  of  Hudson  was  a  mournful  one.    His  discovery  made  him 
so  famous  that  his  king  would  not  permit  him  to  leave  England  ex- 

1758 


HENRY   HUDSON,  THE  NAVIGATOR 

cept  on  another  mission  of  discovery.  In  the  spring  of -1610,  he 
sailed  on  his  fourth  voyage  in  search  of  a  northwest  passage.  He 
passed  through  the  strait  and  into  the  immense  bay  named  after  him. 
He  spent  several  months  in  that  region  of  snow  and  ice  and  desola- 


The 
Fate  of 
Captain 
Hudson, 

1610 


140 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  x 


PERIOD  II 
COLONIZE 

TION  AND 

SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Cabins 
erected 
by  the 
Dutch  on 
Man 
hattan 
Island, 
1613 


For 
mation 
of  the 
Dutch 
West 
India 
Com 
pany, 

1621 


tion,  where  the  sufferings  of  himself  and  crew  were  so  great  that  he 
decided  to  leave  several  behind.  Dreading  that  this  might  happen, 
they  mutinied,  and  placed  Hudson,  his  son,  and  seven  men  in  an  open 
shallop,  then  turned  them  adrift,  and  they  were  never  heard  of  again. 
In  the  following  spring  the  Half  Moon  returned  to  England,  laden 
with  trinkets  and  gew-gaws,  and  was  again  sent  back  to  the  country 

of  the  Hudson  to  trade  for  peltries  with 
the  Indians.  The  island  of  Manhattan  was 
selected  as  the  central  mart,  to  which  the 
furs  of  the  bear,  beaver,  otter,  and  other 
Animals  were  to  be  brought  for  shipment, 
in  the  autumn  of  1613,  the  Dutchmen 
erected  a  number  of  rude  cabins  for  their 
shelter,  and  these  formed  the  germ  of  the 
present  great  ccmmercial  metropolis  of  the 

SEAL   OF   NEW    NETHERLAND  NeW  World. 

The  Dutchmen  were  not  slow  in  learning  the  value  of  that  part  of 
the  country.  They  explored  Long  Island  Sound,  Narragansett  Bay, 
and  the  region  beyond  Boston  harbor.  Block  Island  was  named  in 
honor  of  Captain  Adrien  Block,  who  made  these  explorations.  On 
the  nth  of  October,  1614,  the  States-General  of  Holland  granted  a 
charter  to  a  company  of  Amsterdam  merchants,  by  which  they  were 
given  exclusive  privileges  of  trade,  for  a  period  of  three  years,  in  the 
province  of  New  Netherland,  the  designated  name  of  the  land  lying 
between  the  parallels  of  40°  and  45°  north. 

This  grant,  it  will  be  noted,  included  all  of  New  England,  a  claim 
which  Great  Britain  was  certain  to  dispute.  A  settlement  was  made 
in  1615,  on  a  small  island  beluw  Albany,  where  a  post  was  erected 
called  Fort  Orange.  The  cabins  on  Manhattan  Island  increased  in 
number  until  it  gave  promise  of  soon  becoming  a  town.  The  Dutch 
who  began  penetrating  the  Mohawk  valley  showed  their  wisdom  by 
making  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  Iroquois  or  Five  Nations,  the  most 
powerful  tribal  league  that  ever  existed. 

The  Dutch  West  India  Company  was  formed  in  1621,  and  was 
one  of  the  most  important  trading  enterprises,  if  perhaps  we  except 
the  East  India  Company,  ever  known.  It  was  a  colossal  monopoly, 
with  imperial  powers  that  were  to  last  for  twenty-two  years,  and 
which  gave  it  the  exclusive  right  to  colonize,  govern,  and  trade  on 
the  coast  of  Africa,  from  the  tropic  of  Cancer  to  the  Cape  of  Good 


CHAP,  x      COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF    NEW   YORK 


141 


COLONIZA* 
TION  AND 

SETTLE. 
MENT 
1 60? 

TO 
1758 


Hope,  and  over  the  entire  unoccupied  coast  of  America  from  New-    PERIOD  n 
foundland  to  the  Straits  of  Magellan. 

The  fleet  of  this  enormous  corporation  consisted  of  thirty-two 
vessels  of  war,  eighteen  armed  sloops,  and  many  merchant  ships. 
New  Netherland,  naturally,  fell  under  the  administration  of  the 
Company,  and  in  March,  1623,  it  fitted  out  a  vessel,  named  the  New 
Netherlands  designed  for  trade  in  the  country  of  the  same  name.  It 
was  a  staunch,  well-found  ship,  like  the  people  who  launched  her, 
and  took  out  as  colonists  one  hundred  and  ten  men,  women,  and 
children,  comprising  thirty  families.  They  were  plentifully  provided 
with  domestic  animals  and  agricultural  implements.  These  settlers, 
known  as  "  Walloons,"  had  been  driven  from  Holland  by  cruel  perse- 


PURCHASE   OF    MANHATTAN    ISLAND 

cution,  in  consequence  of  their  religious  beliefs.  The  old  country 
homes  of  these  voluntary  exiles  had  been  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
Netherlands,  most  of  whose  population  were  Roman  Catholics.  The 
Walloons  were  of  French  origin,  and  were  now  seeking  an  abiding- 
place  where  they  could  worship  God  as  they  thought  right. 

Captain  Cornelius  Jacobsen  May,  of  Hoern,  had  charge  of  the  ship 
and  was  ordered  to  remain  in  New  Netherland,  as  first  director  or 
governor.  The  immigrants,  a  frugal,  thrifty  people,  landed  near 
the  fort  on  Castle  Island  in  May,  1624.  They  had  come  with  the 
expectation  of  doing  manual  labor,  and  they  set  to  work  with  a  will. 
They  went  in  different  directions — some  proceeded  south,  towards 
the  Delaware  River,  some  went  towards  Connecticut ;  while  others 
went  to  the  western  end  of  Long  Island,  or  Walloon's  Bay  (now 
known  as  Wallabout  Bay),  and  where,  it  may  be  said,  the  city  of 


The 
Wai- 
loons 


Settle, 
ments 
made  by 
the  Wal 
loons 


142 


HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  x 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLB- 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


The 
Early 
Gov 
ernors  of 

New 
Nether- 
land 


Brooklyn  was  founded.     A  party  of  them  settled  on  the  present  site 
of  Albany,  which  they  named  Fort  Orange ;  while  a  small  company 

made  their  homes  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  Delaware, 
a  short  distance  below  where 
the  city  of  Philadelphia  now 
stands.  The  Delaware  was 
called  the  South  River,  to 
distinguish  it  from  the  North 
River,  or  Hudson,  a  name 
which  is  still  in  use. 

Cheering  news  soon  reach 
ed  the  directors  of  the  Com 
pany  in  Amsterdam.  The 
first  ship  which  arrived  at 
that  port  from  the  colony 
across  the  Atlantic  brought 
ten  thousand  dollars'  worth 
of  furs,  with  the  glad  news 
that  the  people  were  pleased 
with  their  distant  home  and  were  thriving.  The  Company  lost  no 
time  in  sending  out  more  emigrants,  always  plentifully  provided  with 
domestic  animals,  seeds,  and  agricultural  implements. 

Captain  May  was  governor  until  1625,  when  William  Verhult  suc 
ceeded  him,  while  Peter  Minuit  took  charge  in  May,  1626.  The  lat 
ter  is  generally  looked  upon  as  the  first  real  governor  of  New  Neth- 
erland.  He  made  Manhattan  the  chief  commercial  and  administrative 
site,  and  brought  all  the  settlements  under  one  government.  He 
bought  Manhattan  Island  from  the  Indians  for  a  lot  of  trinkets, 
worth,  it  is  said,  about  twenty  dollars.  A  fort  was  staked  out  at  the 
lower  point  of  the  island,  where  the  "  Battery"  afterwards  stood,  and 
was  named  Fort  Amsterdam,  and  the  town  which  grew  up  around  it 
was  called  New  Amsterdam.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  while  the 
English  colony  was  bravely  struggling  and  gaining  ground  in  Vir 
ginia,  the  Dutch  one  in  New  York  was  making  steady,  if  slow,  pro 
gress.  The  latter  were  the  right  kind  of  people  for  pioneers,  and  their 
progress  at  the  beginning  was  attended  by  no  such  dreadful  scenes 
and  drawbacks  as  afflicted  their  neighbors  to  the  southward. 

But  mistakes  were  made,  and  one  of  the  greatest  committed  was 


A    DUTCH   WINDMILL 


CHAP,  x      COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW   YORK 


143 


that  of  the  commissioner  at  Fort  Orange.  He  allowed  ,  the  Mohican 
Indians  to  persuade  him  to  help  them  in  a  war  against  the  Mohawks. 
He  and  a  number  who  went  with  him  on  the  war-path  were  killed. 
Foreseeing  the  terrible  consequences  of  this  blunder  (for  the  Mo 
hawks  belonged  to  the  Iroquois  league),  Governor  Minuit  ordered 
nearly  all  the  settlers  to  join  him  at  Manhattan,  leaving  only  a  small 
garrison  at  Fort  Orange.  The  governor  v/isely  understood  the  need 
of  keeping  on  good  terms  with  this  powerful  confederation  of  red  men. 

New  Amsterdam  grew  slowly.  Two  years  after  Minuit  became 
governor,  the  population  was  less  than  three  hundred ;  but  affairs 
were  prosperous,  and  a  good  and  growing  trade  was  carried  on  with  the 
Indians.  With  the  view  of  increasing  immigration,  the  Company, 
in  1629,  adopted  what  is  known  as  the  "  patroon  system."  This  de 
creed  that  any  member  of  the  Company  who  should  plant  a  colony  of 
fifty  persons,  all  more  than  fifteen  years  old,  in  New  Netherland, 
should  be  patroon,  or  master,  of  the  territory  of  which  he  took  pos 
session.  In  other  words,  he  would  own  the  land,  and  rule  the  people, 
just  as  if  they  were  one  family  of  which  he  was  the  head.  He  could 
establish  courts  and  magistrates  in  all  the  villages  and  towns  which 
might  grow  up.  He  was  the  highest  in  authority,  and  appeals  could 
be  taken  from  his  decision  only  to  the  director-general  of  New 
Netherland.  By  paying  a  small  tax,  he  could  use  all  lands,  rivers, 
and  woods  lying  wkhin  and  adjacent  to  his  own  domain,  and  could 
also  trade  wherever  the  Company  did.  His  written  consent  was  nee 
essary  before  a  man  or  woman  servant  could  leave  his  service  (no 
matter  how  badly  treated),  previous  to  the  end  of  the  time  for  which 
such  servant  had  been  engaged.  The  Company  bound  itself  to  pro 
tect  the  patroons  in  all  their  privileges,  and  these  manorial  estates 
might  be  sixteen  miles  in  length,  if  lying  on  one  side  of  a  river,  or 
eight  miles  if  on  both  sides.  Another  requirement  was  that  the  land 
should  be  first  bought  of  the  Indians,  and  that  none  of  the  occupants 
of  the  holdings  should  be  taxed  during  the  first  ten  years  of  their 
tenancy.  This  was  the  patroon  system,  a  relic  of  the  feudal  ages, 
and  it  never  ought  to  have  been  planted  upon  American  soil.  These 
first  legalized  lordships  in  the  New  World  gave  rise  to  a  class  of 
wealthy  landowners,  whose  names — such  as  the  Van  Rensselaers, 
Schuylers,  Courtlandts,  and  others — are  familiar  in  the  mouths  of  New 
Yorkers  to-day. 

The  shrewd  burghers  in  old  Amsterdam  did  not  let  these  golden 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 
TO 
1758 


Peter 
Minuit 
1626- 

1632 


The 

Patroon 
System 


'44 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  x 


PERIOD  n  opportunities  slip  by  unimproved.  They  took  time  by  the  forelock, 
and  more  than  one  of  them  bought  tracts  in  America  before  the  act 
creating  the  patroons  had  become  law.  The  most  notable  instance 
was  tnat  Of  Kiliaen  van  Rensselaer,  one  of  the  directors,  who,  through 
the  commissary  at  Fort  Orange,  purchased  a  large  area  on  the  west 
ern  side  of  the  Hudson,  to  which  he  afterwards  added  immense  terri- 


1602 
1758 


VAN    TWILLER 


tory.  The  greedy  patroons  made  haste  to  take  up  valuable  tracts, 
not  only  in  New  Nether  land,  but  in  New  Jersey  and  Delaware,  and 
their  eagerness  to  profit  through  the  trade  with  the  Indians  led  to 
so  vigorous  a  rivalry  that  the  Company  had  to  check  the  unseemly 
Governor  practice,  and  the  no  less  unseemly  wrangle  to  which  it  gave  rise. 

Van          Governor  Minuit  was  suspected  of  favoring  the  patroons,  and  was 

Txo33-r>    *n  consecluence  recalled  in  1632.     He  was  succeeded,  in  the  follow- 

1637      ing  year,  by  Wouter  Van  Twiller,  a  fat  blockhead,  lacking  even 


CHAP,  x     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF   NEW   YORK 


14$ 


ordinary  ability.  One  of  the  most  lively  narratives  ever  written 
is  the  "  Knickerbocker  History  of  New  York,"  by  Washington 
Irving,  in  which  Governor  Van  Twiller  is  the  central  figure.  Of 
course  the  pictures  drawn  by  the  gifted  author  are  exaggerated; 
and  yet  it  seems  hard  to  exaggerate  such  a  character  as  the  stupid 
Van  Twiller.  Irving' s  description  of  this  personage  is  so  amusing 
as  to  warrant  its  introduction  here.  It  is  as  follows : 

"  He  was  exactly  five  feet  six  inches  high,  and  six  feet  five  inches 
in  circumference.  His  head  was  a  perfect  sphere,  and  of  such  stupen 
dous  dimensions  that  dame  Nature,  with  all  her  sex's  ingenuity, 
would  have  been  puzzled  to  construct  a  neck  capable  of  supporting 
it ;  wherefore  she  wisely  declined  the  attempt,  and  settled  it  firmly 
on  the  top  of  his  backbone,  just  between  his  shoulders.  His  legs 
were  very  short,  but  sturdy  in  proportion  to  the  weight  they  had  to 
sustain ;  so  that,  when  erect,  he  had  not  a  little  the  appearance  of  a 
beer-barrel  on  skids.  His  face,  that  infallible  index  of  the  mind, 
presented  a  vast  expanse,  unfurrowed  by  any  of  those  lines  and 
angles  which  disfigure  the  human  countenance  with  what  is  termed 
expression.  Two  small  gray  eyes  twinkled  feebly  in  the  midst,  like 
two  stars  of  lesser  magnitude  in  a  hazy  firmament ;  and  his  full-fed 
cheeks,  which  seemed  to  have  taken  toll  of  everything  that  went  into 
his  mouth,  were  curiously  mottled  and  streaked  with  dusky  red,  like  a 
Spitzenberg  apple.  His  habits  were  as  regular  as  his  person.  He 
daily  took  his  four  stated  meals,  appropriating  exactly  an  hour  to 
each ;  he  smoked  and  doubted  eight  hours,  and  he  slept  the  remain 
ing  twelve  of  the  four-and-twenty." 

New  Netherland  prospered,  even  with  this  good-natured  dolt  at  the 
head  of  affairs;  but  he  was  recalled  in  1637,  and  William  Kieft 
(kceft)  became  his  successor.  Kieft  was  a  peppery,  quarrelsome, 
avaricious  man,  quick  to  resent  any  insult  to  his  dignity,  or  any  en 
croachment  upon  the  province  of  New  Netherland.  Finding  soon 
that  a  party  of  English  had  settled  on  the  northwestern  end  of  Long 
Island,  he  promptly  drove  them  away.  Learning,  too,  that  a  number 
of  English  immigrants  from  New  Haven  had  built  a  factory  on 
the  Delaware,  the  governor  burned  the  property,  and  captured  the 
emigrants,  gfn  fact,  Kieft  was  continually  in  hot  water;  and  sev 
eral  times  New  Netherland  was  on  the  point  of  revolting  against 
his  doings.  Nevertheless,  though  a  bad  man,  he  did  the  province 
much  good,  after  its  long  stagnation  under  Van  Twiller. 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 

SETTLE 

MENT 

l6O2 

TO 

175* 


Governor 

William 

Kieft, 


10 


I46 


HISTORY   OF  THE   UNITED   STATES      CHAP,  x 


FBRIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Settle 
ment  in 

Dela 
ware  by 

the 
Swedes 


Governor 
Peter 
Stuy- 

vcsant 


Peter  Minuit,  the  first  governor,  felt  anything  but  friendly  toward 
Holland  because  of  its  treatment  of  him,  and  in  1638,  he  led  a  party 
of  Swedes  and  Finns  to  Delaware  Bay,  where  they  bought  land  from 
the  Indians  and  erected  a  fort  which  was  named  Christina,  in  honor 
of  the  infant  queen  of  Sweden.  Governor  Kieft  looked  upon  these 
doings  as  an  invasion  of  Dutch  territory,  but  was  afraid  to  drive  out 
the  people,  and  the  settlement  increased  until  it  numbered  a  hundred 
families,  who  were 
located  a  short  dis 
tance  below  the 
present  site  of 
Philadelphia. 

As  if  the  quar 
rels  at  home  were 
not  enough,  trouble 
soon  broke  out  with 
the  Indians.  Many 
outrages  were  com 
mitted  by  the 
Dutch  settlers  as 
well  as  by  the  Mo 
hawks.  Kieft  de 
termined  to  destroy  the  whole  tribe  of  the  latter,  and  one  night,  in 
the  winter  of  1643,  his  men  attacked  a  Mohawk  village,  on  the  pres 
ent  site  of  Hoboken,  and  killed  nearly  every  warrior,  squaw,  and 
child,  within  its  bounds.  This  cruel  and  impolitic  act  had  its  grim 
sequel ;  for  other  bands  of  this  powerful  tribe  retaliated  in  the  most 
fearful  manner.  They  laid  cabins,  hamlets,  and  villages  in  ashes 
until  the  terrified  settlers  sued  for  peace.  The  truce,  however,  lasted 
but  a  little  while,  when  war  began  again  and  continued  for  two 
years.  Finally,  peace  was  established  in  1645,  and  all  joined  in  the 
general  thanksgiving.  Governor  Kieft  was  blamed  for  the  shocking 
occurrences,  and,  to  the  joy  of  every  one,  he  was  recalled  in  1646. 
He  sailed  the  following  year  for  Holland,  but  the  vessel  was  wrecked 
on  the  coast  of  Wales  and  he  was  drowned. 

The  successor  of  Kieft  was  Peter  Stuyvesant  (sti'-ve-sani).  He 
was  a  gallant  Dutch  soldier,  and  had  lost  a  leg  in  the  service  of  his 
country.  At  the  time  of  his  appointment  he  was  forty-four  years 
old,  of  inflexible  will,  a  strict  disciplinarian,  fond  of  pomp,  but  withal 


PETER    STUYVESANT'S    HOUSE 


PETER   STUYVESANT,  DIRECTOR-GENERAL    OF    NEW     NETHERLAND 


148  HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  x 

PERIOD  ii    just  and  honest.      His  artificial  leg  was  clamped  around  with  a  num- 


ber  of  silver  rings,  a  circumstance  which  caused  him  to  be   called 

TION  AND 


(when  he  was  beyond  hearing)  "  Old  Silver  Leg."     He  was  received 
1602       -with  the  firing  of  guns  and  shouts  of  welcome  when  he  landed  one 
1758       bright  morning,  in  May,  1647,  for  the  people  were  so  tired  of  Kieft 
thai:  they  were  ready  to  welcome  any  one. 

Stuyvesant  was  a  despot,  but  he  meant  well,  and  did  good  service 
in  New  Netherland;  for  he  was  wise,  and  could  not  fail  to  benefit 
the  country  that  had  been  ruled  so  ill.  One  of  his  first  acts  was  to 
persuade  the  people  to  abolish  the  monopoly  that  had  existed  in  trade. 
He  looked  after  the  morals  of  the  inhabitants,  restricted  the  sale  of 
sant's  liquor  to  the  Indians,  and  infused  a  new  energy  into  commerce  and 


industry.  He  was,  moreover,  so  just  and  considerate  in  his  treatment 
Rule  of  the  red  men  that  he  soon  won  their  confidence. 

Stuyvesant  was  watchful  of  the  encroachments  of  his  neighbors, 
north  and  south.  He  sent  a  protest  to  the  English  governor  in  Bos 
ton  against  the  settlement  of.  his  people  within  Dutch  territory. 
In  .reply  he  was  invited  to  meet  the  governor  and  talk  over  matters. 

A'  Dutch  vessel  anchored  in  the  harbor  of  New  Haven,  the  waters 
of  which  belonged  to  the  English.  She  had  not  paid  her  dues  in  New 
Amsterdam.  In  defiance  of  law,  the  governor  caused  her  seizure, 
whereupon  the  settlers  arrested  three  of  Stuyvesant'  s  servants,  and 
threw  them  into  prison.  ,He  demanded  their  release,  but  no  at 
tention  was  paid  to  his  request.  Then  he  asked  that  they  might  be 
set  free,  and  this,  too,  was  refused.  Thereupon,  the  governor  wrote 
home  for  instructions.  The  Dutch  West  India  Company  replied  by 
telling  him  to  get  on  without  .quarrelling  with  his  neighbors.  The 
advice  was  good  ;  but  it  was  not  what  the  fiery  governor  expected, 
and  it  cannot  be  supposed  that  he  was  pleased  with  it. 

Unwilling  to  yield  his  claims,  Stuyvesant  saw  but  one  recourse 
left  to  him  :  he  proposed  to  submit  the  dispute  to  arbitration.  This 
,was  done,  and  the  decision  was  in  favor  of  the  English,  most  of  the 
territory  in  question  being  awarded  to  them. 

The  governor  now  turned  his  attention  to  the  intruders  in  New 
Sweden,  as  the  country  occupied  by  the  Swedes  on  both  sides  of  the 
Delaware  was  called.  Their  governor  was  named  ^rintz,  and  his 
temper  was  as  fiery  as  that  of  Stuyvesant,  while  tiis  size  and  strength 
were  like  those  of  Hercules.  He  treated  the  few  Dutch  settlers  in 
the  territory  with  great  harshness,  but  allowed  them  to  hold  one  petty 


CHAP,  x     COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF    NEW   YORK 


149 


military  post,  called  Fort  Nassau,  just  above  the  Schuylkill,  (skool'kil) 
because  it  was  not  nigh  enough  to  the  Swedish  settlements  to  cause 
annoyance. 

Stuyvesant  now  built  Fort  Casimir,  on  the  site  of  New  Castle. 
Printz  stormed,  but  did  nothing.     He  was  recalled,  and  Rysingh,  a 
new  governor,  took    his    place.     The 
latter  was  scarcely  installed  in  office 
when  he  proceeded   to    capture    Fort 
Casimir,  and  then  "  Old  Silver  Leg " 
stamped  about, 
and  denounced 
the    pestilent 
Swedes.       I  n 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


"Old 

Silver 

Leg" 

and  the 

Swedes 


A   DUTCH    HOUSEHOLD 


the  spring  of  1655  he 
sent  a  strong  force  to 
the  Delaware,  which 
recaptured  Fort  Casi 
mir  and  took  Fort  Christina.  Thus  ended  Swedish  rule  in  America. 
The  Swedes,  however,  stayed  on  in  the  country,  becoming  first  Dutch 
and  then  English  subjects,  being  evidently  as  well  suited  with  the  America 
-one  rule  as  with  the  other. 

When  Stuyvesant  returned  from  his  expedition  to  the  south,  he 


End  of 


ISO  HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  x 

PERIOD  ii  found  that  trouble  had  broken  out  with  the  Indians.  As  usual,  the 
first  outrage  was  committed  by  the  white  people,  and  a  massacre  of 
them  followed ;  but  the  governor  soon  established  peace,  after  which 

1602       the  history  ran  on  uneventfully  for  a  number  of  years. 

1758  There  was  a  quaint  simplicity,  a  thrift,  neatness,  and  honest  look 

about  those  old  Dutch  households  that  gave  them  an  attractiveness 

The  seen  nowhere  else.  Life  was  like  a  mellow  dream.  The  sturdy 
bockers  burghers  sat  in  their  porches  in  mild  weather,  and  within  doors,  when 
the  air  was  keen,  in  front  of  their  broad  fireplaces,  and  placidly 
smoked  their  long-stemmed  pipes,  and  drank  their  home-brewed  ale, 
while  the  deft  fingers  of  the  housewife  plied  the  knitting-needles  or 
were  busy  with  the  spinning-wheel.  Early  rising  was  not  a  virtue 
among  the  Knickerbockers,  but  in  summer  they  went  to  bed  at  sun 
set.  The  fashionable  hours  for  parties  during  winter  were  from  three 
to  six  o'clock.  This  gave  time  for  evening  devotions  and  the  prepara 
tions  for  bed  at  seven. 

All  the  male  members  smoked,  and  would  sit  slowly  puffing  and 
looking  dreamily  into  the  fire  for  hours,  without  speaking  a  word. 
The  floor  was  as  clean  as  a  pin,  and  strewn  with  white  sand,  with 
odd  but  pretty  designs  wrought  by  the  broom  of  the  housewife. 
Hospitality  was  universal,  and  all  believed  in  good  cheer.  Content 
ment  and  happiness  reigned  everywhere. 

The  But  among  these  kindly,  stolid  Hollanders  were  progressive  men 

nor's      who  chafed  under  the  arbitrary  rule  of  Stuyvesant,  and,  in  their  re- 
Chaf-     sentment,  sometimes  declared  that  they  would  be  quite -willing  to  try 
enged    an  English  governor  by  way  of  a  change.     Their  own  ruler  was  im 
patient  with  the  growing  republicanism,  and  felt  that  his  knowledge 
of  the  best  way  to  rule  the  colony  surpassed  the  combined  wisdom 
of  all  the  rest. 

In  1653,  two  deputies  from  each  village  of  the  colony  came  to 
gether  in  convention  in  New  Amsterdam,  much  to  the  disgust  of 
Stuyvesant,  who,  however,  could  frame  no  pretext  for  preventing  the 
meeting.  These  deputies  dared  to  demand  that  no  new  law  should 
be  passed,  and  no  person  appointed  to  office,  without  the  consent  of 
the  people  themselves.  When  the  demand  was  presented  to  Stuy 
vesant  he  flew  into  a  passion,  and  told  his  callers  that  any  set  of  men 
who  thought  they  knew  enough  to  govern  themselves  were  so  many 
fools. 

The  citizens  presumed  to  argue  the  question  with  the  governor, 


CHAP,  x     COLONIAL    HISTORY   OF    NEW   YORK 


whereupon  he  dissolved  the  assembly,  curtly  notifying  the  members 
that  his  authority  came  from  God  and  the  West  India  Company. 
The  latter,  on  being  appealed  to,  sustained  the  doughty  governor  in 
all  his  claims. 

But  great  changes  came  in  the  course  of  a  few  years.  Charles  II. 
assigned  to  his  brother  James,  Duke  of  York,  all  of  New  Nether- 
land,  including  a  part  of  Connecticut,  and  also  Long  Island.  The 
English  monarch  had  no  moral  right  to  this  territory,  but  it  was  a 
case  of  might  making  right.  Four  ships-of-war,  carrying  four  hun- 


THE    DUTCH    TRADING    WITH    THE   INDIANS 

dred  and  fifty  soldiers,  under  command  of  Colonel  Richard  Nicolls, 
arrived  before  New  Amsterdam  in  the  latter  part  of  August,  1664. 

Stuyvesant  had  been  warned  of  what  was  coming,  and  he  strove 
with  might  and  main  to  rouse  the  Dutchmen  to  resistance.  He 
stamped  back  and  forth  through  the  streets  of  New  Amsterdam, 
swinging  his  cane  about  his  head,  cursing  the  rascally  English,  and 
calling  upon  his  countrymen  to  rally  and  drive  them  back  into  the 
sea.  But  his  anger  was  vain.  The  Dutchmen  believed  that  the 
impending  change  would  prove  a  good  thing,  and  they  refused  to 
raise  a  hand  to  defend  the  town. 

It  almost  broke  the  governor's  heart  to  yield ;  and  even  when  he 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Capture 
of  New 
Amster 
dam  by 

the 
English, 

1664 


Inter 
rupted 
Regime 
of  the 
Dutch 
Direc 
tors- 
General 


152 


HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  x 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 

SETTLE 
MENT 

,  1602 

'      TO 


New  Am 
sterdam 
becomes 
New 
York 


Governor 
Love 
lace's 
Rule, 
1668-74 


saw  that  no  force  could  be  gathered  for  defence,  he  refused  to  con 
sider  the  summons  to  surrender,  declaring  that  he  would  rather  die 
than  submit  to  the  English.  But  the  hour  came  when  he  saw  that 
his  course  was  madness,  and  he  had  no  choice  left.  The  English 
offered  conciliatory  terms,  but  accompanied  by  the  threat  that,  if  he 
declined,  them,  the  troops  would  be  landed  and  would  take  possession 
*  of  .the  ;town.  So  at.  last  he  submitted,  and  the  surrender  was  signed, 
i  The,  total ,  population  of  New  Amsterdam  at  that  time  was  about 
fifteen  hundred.  Its  name  was  changed  to  New  York,  in  honor  of 
the  Duke  of  York.  The  remainder  of  the  province  received  the  same 
name,  while  Fort  Orange  became  Albany,  to  commemorate  the  Duke's 
Scottish  title.  Colonel  Nicolls  was  proclaimed  deputy-governor,  and 
the  citizens  puffed  their  pipes  and  took  the  oath  of  allegiance,  much 
as  they  would  have  taken  a  draught  of  "  nut-brown  ale"  from  their 
massive  pewter  mugs. 

For  a  time,  the  English  rule  was  so  liberal  and  indulgent  that  the 
people  were  glad  that  the  change  had  come.  The  villagers  were 
allowed  to  choose  their  own  magistrates,  and  the  Navigation  Act  was 
suspended  for  six  months,  during  which  free  trade  prevailed  with 
the  ports  of  Holland.  At  Nicolls'  request,  he  was  relieved  of  the 
governorship  of  New  York,  and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Francis 
Lovelace,  who  arrived  in  1668.  Fully  acquainted  with  the  wants  of 
the  colony,  his  rule  was  moderate  and  wise,  and  the  contentment  and 
prosperity  continued.  War  now  broke  out  between  France  and  Eng 
land  on  the  one  hand  and  the  Netherlands  on  the  other.  This  was  in* 
1672,  and  in  the  month  of  August,  a  Dutch  fleet  of  twenty-three  ships, 
with  a  large  force  of  men,  anchored  in  the  outer  bay  of  New  York. 
The  citizens  of  the  town  welcomed  their  countrymen  as  liberators,, 
for  they  had  grown  dissatisfied  with  the  English  rule.  Governor 
Lovelace  was  absent  on  a  visit  to  Governor  Winthrop,  of  Connecti 
cut,  and  an  express  was  sent  after  him.  Colonel  Manning,  in  com 
mand  of  the  fort,  called  for  volunteers,  but  none  responded.  He  did 
all  he  could  to  gain  time,  until  the  Dutch  lost  patience  and  opened 
fire  on  the  fort,  which  killed  and  wounded  several  men.  The  sparse 
but  plucky  garrison  returned  the  fire,  and  six  hundred  Dutch  sol 
diers  were  landed,  who  were  joined  by  four  hundred  citizens  in 
arms.  The  landing  took  place  near  where  Trinity  Church,  Broadway, 
now  stands,  and  the  force  was  advancing  to  the  attack,  when  Maiv- 
ning  surrendered. 


FROM    THE    ORIGINAL    DRAWING    BY    J.    GLEESON 

STUYVESANT'S    VAIN    APPEAL 


154 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  x 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


New 

York 

once 

more 

changes 

Rulers 


New 

York 

ceded  to 

England 


Rule  of 
Governor 

Andros 


And  so,  once  more,  on  the  Qth  of  August,  1673,  the  flag  of  the 
Dutch  republic  waved  over  Fort  Amsterdam.  The  name  of  the  town 
was  changed  to  New  Orange,  in  compliment  to  William,  Prince  of 
Orange,  and  the  outlying  portions  of  New  Netherland  speedily  sub 
mitted.  Grim  old  Peter  Stuyvesant  at  this  time  must  have  been  the 
happiest  man  in  the  whole  province. 

Anthony  Colve,  the  new  governor,  was  a  wide-awake  and  energetic 
man,  who  took  sharp  steps  to  bring  the  remainder  of  the  province  to 
submission,  and,  at  the  same  time,  proceeded  to  put  the  lumbering 
old  fort  into  good  condition  for  defence.  He  was  busy  at  this  work, 
when  in  May,  1674,  two  men  came  in  from  the  province  of  Connecti 
cut  with  news  that  a  treaty  of  peace  had  been  signed  between  Eng 
land  and  Holland,  by  the  terms  of  which,  the  province  of  New  Neth 
erland  was  ceded  to  England.  The  Dutchmen  of  the  town  were  so 
angry  that  they  seized  the  bearers  of  the  evil  tidings  and  cast  them 
into  prison.  The  news,  though  unpalatable,  was,  however,  true. 
The  treaty  had  really  been  made,  and  all  of  the  Dutch  possessions  in 
America  passed  again  into  the  possession  of  England.  Once  more 
New  Netherland  changed  hands,  and  New  York  remained  an  Eng 
lish  colony  until  the  Revolution. 

These  changes  of  rule  had  caused  so  much  confusion  within  the 
boundaries  of  the  Duke  of  York's  grant,  that  a  new  patent  was  issued 
in  June,  1674.  This  embraced  all  the  territory  west  of  the  Con 
necticut  River  to  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Delaware,  including  Long 
Island  and  a  portion  of  Maine.  Sir  Edmund  Andros  was  now  ap 
pointed  governor  of  New  York,  and  he  received  the  formal  surrender 
of  the  province  in  the  month  of  October. 

Andros  at  that  time  was  under  forty  years  of  age.  He  had  shown 
himself  to  be  a  brave  and  able  soldier.  He  possessed  a  fine  educa 
tion,  and  his  personal  character  was  without  stain ;  but  in  his  zeal  to 
carry  out  the  wishes  of  his  royal  master  he  proved  himself  one  of 
the  most  oppressive  of  tyrants.  He  remained  at  the  head  of  affairs 
for  eight  years,  during  which,  in  spite  of  his  harshness,  the  colony 
prospered. 

The  right  of  representation  was  given  to  the  people  in  1683,  and 
Colonel  Thomas  Dongan,  a  mild  and  enlightened  Roman  Catholic, 
arrived  in  August  as  governor  of  the  province.  He  sympathized 
with  the  popular  desire  for  greater  freedom,  and  on  the  1 7th  of  Oc 
tober,  1683,  a  legislative  assembly  met  in  session  in  Fort  James,  at 


CHAP,  x     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW    YORK 


155 


New  York.     Seventeen  representatives  were  present,  and  this  first    PERIOD  11 
General  Assembly  of  the  Province  of  New  York  was  in  session  three 
weeks,  during  which  fourteen  acts  were   passed   and  assented  to   by 


( 


\ 


COLONIZA 
TION  AN» 
SETTLE 
MENT 

1602 

TO 

1758 


LANDING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  AT  NEW  AMSTERDAM 

the  governor  and  his  council.     The  first  and  most  important  was 
"  The    Charter  of    Liberties  and  Privileges,  granted  by  His   Royal 
Highness  to  the  Inhabitants  of  New  York  and  its  Dependencies." 
This  date  is  memorable  in  the  early  history  of  New  York,  and 


The 

First 

General 

As 
sembly 
of  the 
Province 
of  New 
York, 
1683 


1 56 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  x 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Fortunes 
of  New 
York, 
during 

the 

English 
Revolu 
tion  of 
1688-89 


the  act  named  is  an  historical  one.  Its  provisions  secured  religious 
freedom ;  the  abolishment  of  martial  law  and  of  the  quartering  of 
seamen  and  soldiers  on  the  inhabitants  against  their  will ;  and  placed 
a  restraint  on  the  levying  of  taxes  without  the  consent  of  the  As 
sembly.  It,  moreover,  gave  to  every  free 
holder  and  freeman  the  right  to  vote  without 
hindrance,  and  guaranteed  to  all  accused  of 
wrong-doing  the  right  of  trial  by  a  jury  of 
twelve  men. 

Naturally,  high  hopes  were  raised  by  this 
Charter  of  Liberties,  but  they  were  not  ful 
filled,  for  when  the  Duke  of  York,*  in  1685, 
became  king,  he  broke  the  pledges  he  had 
made.  He  ordered  the  levying  of  a  direct 
tax,  abolished  the  printing-press,  and  took 
steps  to  force  the  Papal  religion  upon  the 
colony.  Dongan,  although  himself  a  Ro 
man  Catholic,  bravely  opposed  the  bigoted 
monarch,  won  the  gratitude  of  the  citizens,  and  in  the  spring  of  1688 
was  ordered  to  surrender  his  government  to  Andros,  whose  authority 
extended  over  New  York  and  New  England.  Andros  left  Francis 
Nicholson,  a  lieutenant  of  the  army,  to  act  as  lieutenant-governor  of 
New  York. 

News  reached  this » country  in  April,  1689,  of  the  dethronement  of 
James  II.  and  the  accession  of  William  and  Mary.  Andros  and  his 
political  associates  were  seized  in  Boston  and  sent  to  England.  A 
popular  uprising  took  place  in  New  York,  where  the  government  was 
in  the  hands  of  Nicholson,  Councillor  Frederick  Phillips,  Stephen 
van  Courtlandt,  and  Nicholas  Bayard.  New  York  by  this  time  had 
grown  to  be  a  city  of  5,000  population,  with  a  variety  of  religions 
and  nationalities.  Since  England  was  now  (1689)  at  war  with 
France,  it  was  decided  to  fortify  the  place  against  the  French.  The 


ANDROS 


*  The  Duke  of  York  was  the  son  of  Charles  I.  and  brother  of  Charles  II.  When 
the  latter  died,  in  1685,  the  Duke  of  York  succeeded  to  the  English  throne  as  James  II. 
On  his  accession,  he  promised  to  maintain  the  established  government,  both  in  Church  and 
State,  a  promise  he  immediately  broke  by  his  fanatical  zeal  for  Roman  Catholicism, 
which  led  him  to  fill  the  army  with  Roman  Catholic  officers,  in  violation  of  the  Test  Act, 
and  to  make  an  illegal  use  of  the  dispensing  power.  As  a  protest  against  these  acts, 
his  brief  rule  was  chequered  by  two  insurrections — Argyle's  and  Monmouth's — and  ter 
minated  by  the  Revolution  of  1688,  which  placed  William  and  Mary  on  the  throne. 


CHAP,  x     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW   YORK 


157 


JAMES  II 


council  showed  so  much  hesitation  in  regard  to  this  that  Jacob  Leis- 
ler  (lice'ler)y  one  of  the  militia  captains,  was  placed  at  the  head  of 
affairs.  There  was  some  dissatisfaction  with  his  appointment ;  but  the 
rumor  of  an  approaching  French  fleet  strengthened  his  position.  Six 
captains  and  four  hundred  men  agreed  in 
writing  to  hold  the  fort  for  the  Prince  of 
Orange,  or  whomsoever  he  should  appoint 
governor.  News  came  that  the  sovereigns 
William  and  Mary  confirmed  temporarily 
the  appointments  of  all  Protestants  hold 
ing  office ;  but  Nicholson  was  so  distrusted 
that,  in  a  furious  pet,  he  sailed  for  England. 

Leisler  and  his  friends  were  now  mas 
ters  of  the  city.  He  appointed  his  own 
collector,  and  so  alarmed  his  associate 
councillors  that  they  withdrew,  and  for 
more  than  a  year  Leisler  was  the  supreme 
ruler  of  the  town.  Finally,  Henry 
Sloughter  (slaw'ter),  one  of  the  king's  favorites,  was  made  governor 
of  New  York,  but  did  not  sail  until  a  year  after  his  appointment. 
Major  Ingoldsby,  one  of  his  officers,  arrived  January  29,  1691,  several 
weeks  before  Sloughter,  and  ordered  Leisler  to  surrender  the  fort. 
When  Leisler  asked  him  for  his  authority,  he  was  unable  to  produce 
any.  The  captain  thereupon  refused  to  recognize  him,  but  offered 
every  courtesy  to  Ingoldsby  and  his  troops,  even  to  the  extent  of 
providing  them  quarters  in  the  fort.  The  offer  was  declined,  and 
little  happened  until  the  I9th  of  March,  when  Governor  Sloughter 
himself  arrived. 

Preparations  were  about  to  be  made  to  attack  the  fort,  when  Leis 
ler  surrendered.  The  governor  ordered  the  trial  of  Leisler  and  his 
council,  on  the  charge  of  murder  and  treason.  Leisler  and  his  son- 
in-law,  Milborne,  refused  to  appear  until  the  grave  question  was 
settled  whether  the  king's  letter  had  not  given  him  the  formal  au 
thority  which  he  had  assumed.  The  question  was  turned  over  to  the 
governor  and  council,  who  decided  that  no  such  authority  was  granted 
by  the  king's  letter.  Leisler,  Milborne,  and  six  others,  were  found 
guilty  and  sentenced  to  death.  Following  the  advice  of  the  judges, 
however,  the  governor  reprieved  them  till  the  wishes  of  the  king 
could  be  learned. 


PERIOD  II 
COLONIZA. 

TION  AND 

SETTLE- 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1753 


Arrival 

of 

Governot 
Slough 
ter, 
1691 


HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  x 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Hanging 
of  Leis- 
ler  and 

Mil- 
borne, 

1691 


Leisler's  vigorous  measures  had  made  many  bitter  enemies,  who 
now  resorted  to  a  base  artifice  to  bring  about  his  ruin.  Failing  after 
repeated  efforts  to  persuade  the  governor  to  sign  the  death-warrant, 
they  gave  him  a  dinner  at  which  he  was  plied  with  wine  until  he  was 
intoxicated.  In  that  condition,  he  was  led  to  sign  the  death-war 
rant  of  Leisler  and  Milborne.  When  the  governor  became  sober, 
he  found  to  his  horror  that  the  two  had  been  executed. 


Death  of 

Governor 

Slough- 

ter 


A    TEMPERANCE    LESSON 

Two  months  later,  Governor  Sloughter  died  so  suddenly  that  many 
suspected  that  he  was  poisoned ;  but  his  death  was  probably  due  to 
excessive  indulgence  in  liquor.  Some  years  later,  the  English  parlia 
ment  reversed  the  attainder  pronounced  upon  Leisler,  and  paid  back 
ail  the  expenses  which  his  estate  had  borne.  Every  possible  repar 
ation  was  made,  and  the  verdict  of  history  is  that  he  and  Milborne 
were  judicially  murdered. 

Benjamin  Fletcher  succeeded  Sloughter.  He  had  a  violent  tem 
per,  was  avaricious,  dishonest,  and  wholly  lacking:  in  tact.  Through- 


CHAP,  x     COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF    NEW   YORK 


159 


GOVERNOR    BELLOMONT 


out  his  administration  of  seven  years,  the  embers  of  hatred  caused 
by  the  execution  of  Leisler  glowed  and  burned,  and  at  one  time  threat 
ened  to  break  into  the  flames  of  civil  war.  So  when  the  Earl  of 
Bellomont  became  governor  in  1698,  he  found  public  affairs  in  a  bad 
plight,  but  set  to  work  with  vigor  to  im 
prove  them.  He  won  the  confidence  of 
all  the  people,  and  gave  them  a  good  ad 
ministration. 

The  most  notable  incident  connected 
with  the  rule  of  Bellomont  was  the  career 
of  William  Kidd,  the  pirate.  The  crime 
of  piracy  grew  to  alarming  proportions  dur 
ing  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  cen 
tury.  The  English  government  tried  to 
repress  the  evil,  but  could  not  do  so,  and 
a  company  was  formed  to  effect  it.  This 
association  was  composed  of  a  number  of  English  noblemen,  among 
whom  was  Governor  Bellomont.  Kidd  was  known  to  be  a  skilful 
sailor  and  a  daring  fighter,  and  the  galley  which  was  fitted  out  for 
him,  and  named  the  Adventure,  was  placed  under  his  command. 

Kidd  did  fine  service  in  destroying  pirates,  and  after  a  time  found 
himself  in  command  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  among  whom  were 
a  number  of  as  vicious  criminals  as  could  be  found  anywhere  in  the 
world.  He  now  felt  strong  enough  to  attack  the  pirates  of  the  In 
dian  Ocean,  and  in  February  sailed  for  the  coast  of  Madagascar.  It 
was  a  long  voyage,  and  on  the  way  thither  and  for  many  months 
after,  Kidd  cruised  back  and  forth  without  exchanging  a  shot  with  a 
pirate.  Then  he  made  up  his  mind  to  turn  freebooter  himself. 

Thus  it  was  that  one  of  the  most  famous  pirates  in  history  began 
his  evil  career.  The  Adventure  was  fully  armed  and  respected  no 
flag.  Kidd  and  his  crew  were  after  plunder,  and  it  mattered  little 
to  them  who  became  their  victims.  He  roamed  over  the  ocean,  from 
India  to  the  coasts  of  South  America,  among  the  West  India  Islands, 
and  northward  to  the  vicinity  of  his  home.  He  was  a  cruel  man, 
who,  if  tradition  can  be  trusted,  committed  not  a  few  murders,  when 
there  was  neither  pretext  nor  excuse  for  doing  so.  For  one  of  these, 
he  was  at  last  brought  to  trial  and,  as  we  shall  see,  suffered  tor  his 
crime,  though  the  plea  is  made  for  him  that  his  victim  on  that 
occasion  was  being  punished  as  a  mutineer. 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Bello- 
mont's 
Adminis 
tration, 
1698- 
1701 


William 

Kidd,  the 

Pirate 


i6o  HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  x 

PERIOD  ii        The  belief  has  been  general  for  many  years  that  Kidd  buried  in\ 
T?ON  AND"    mense  surns  of  money  and  treasure  at  points  on  the  Atlantic  coast, 
S*YNLTE"     and  especially  on   Long   Island  and   in   New  Jersey.     Hundreds  of 
1602       people  have  searched  for  these  treasures,  and  no  doubt  hundreds  more 
1758       will   do  so.     Within  a  mile  of  where  the  writer  of  this  is  penning 
these  lines,  a  party  of  men,  some  years  ago,  almost  dug  away  a  small 
routed    island  in   Shark   River,  under  the  belief  that  they  had  struck  the 
Buried     spot  where  an  enormous  amount  of  treasure  had  been  buried  by  the 
famous  freebooter.     Th^y  found  a  few  pennies,  which  investigation 
proved  had  been  placed  there  by  some  waggish  neighbor,  but  noth 
ing  of  any  buried  wealth,  nor  is  any  authentic  instance   known  of 
money  thus  buried  being  found  by  other  persons. 

Kidd  was  foolhardy  enough  to  sail  into  the  port  of  Boston,  under 
the  belief  that  the  wealth  at  his  command  would  purchase  his  safety.. 
The  charge  has  been  made  that  Governor  Bellomont  and  others  high 
in  authority  shared  the  ill-gotten  gains  of  the  pirate ;  but  when  or 
ders  came  from  England  for  Kidd's  arrest  they  were  carried  out,  and 
he  was  sent  to  England,  where  he  was  executed  in  1701. 

One  of  the  strange  facts  connected  with  the  colonial  history  of 
our  country  is  that  the  English  monarchs  appointedx  as  governor  so 
many  men  who  possessed  'no  fitness  for  the  high  office.  Some  of 
them  were  a  little  above  the  grade  of  idiots,  and  many  were  rogues, 
who  ought  to  have  spent  their  lives  in  a  penitentiary.  Few  of  the 
colonies  escaped  this  affliction.  It  is  therefore  not  strange  if,  at 
times,  we  find  some  of  these  governors  lying  under  an  uncomfortable 
and  more  or  less  justifiable  suspicion. 

•Governor  Sjr  Edward  Hyde  became  governor  of  New  York  after  the  death 
Es-  *  of  the  Earl  of  Bellomont,  and  ruled  for  seven  years.  He  was  one  of 
capades  ^e  most  despicable  of  men  ;  so  arrant  a  knave,  indeed,  that  it  may  be 
doubted  whether  he  would  have  been  appointed  had  he  not  been  the 
uncle  of  Queen  Anne.  What  would  be  thought  to-day  of  the  gov 
ernor  of  a  colony  appearing  repeatedly  on  the  streets  and  at  public 
assemblies  in  the  dress  of  a  woman  ?  That  is  what  Governor  Hyde 
did,  on  the  plea  that  it  was  proper  for  him  to  do  so  because  the  ruler 
of  England  was  a  woman.  He  was  so  despised  that  the  queen  re 
called  him  in  1708.  His  creditors  put  him  in  prison  for  debt,  where 
he  would  have  died,  had  not  the  death  of  his  father  made  him  Lord 
Cornbury.  The  English  law  does  not  permit  a  peer  of  the  realm  to 
be  arrested  for  debt,  and  so  he  escaped  further  humiliation. 


CHAP,  x     COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF    NEW   YORK 


161 


Lord  Lovelace  succeeded  Hyde,  and  did  fairly  well  until  his  death, 
in  May,  1709.  He  was  followed  successively  by  Robert  Hunter, 
William  Burner,  and  John  Montgomery.  During  the  administration 
of  the  first  named,  Queen  Anne's  war  occurred,  an  account  of  which 
will  be  given  in  another  chapter.  Hunter  retired  in  1719.  His  suc 
cessor  was  a  son  of  the  famous  Bishop  of  Salisbury.  He  cultivated 
friendly  relations  with  the  Indians,  and  was  popular  because  of  his 
geniality.  He  was  transferred  to  the  governorship  of  Massachusetts, 
in  1727.  His  administration  was  uneventful,  and,  dying  in  1731,  he 
was  succeeded  by  the  senior  member  of  council,  Rip  Van  Dam,  until 
the  arrival  of  Colonel  William  Cosby,  in  August,  1732. 

The  sole  ambition  of  Cosby  was  to  make  all  the  money  possible 
while  the  opportunity  was  in  his  hands.  He  demanded  of  Van  Dam 
one-half  the  salary  he  had  received  while  acting  as  governor.  Van 
Dam  said  he  would  consent  to  this  if  Cosby  would  pay  him  one-half 
the  perquisites  of  his  office  from  the  time  of  his  appointment  until 
his  arrival.  Cosby  refused  the  proposition  and  sued  Van  Dam  in 
the  Supreme  Court,  where  the  majority  of  the  judges  were  the  per 
sonal  friends  of  the  governor.  The  council  decided  against  Van 
Dam,  and  Chief-Justice  Morris  decided  against  the  governor,  who 
thereupon  displaced  the  Chief -Justice  without  consulting  his  council. 

This  high-handed  course  caused  great  indignation.  In  1725,  Wil 
liam  Bradford  had  established  the  first  public  newspaper  in  New 
York.  It  was  he  who,  in  1693,  set  up  the  first  printing-house  in  the 
province.  His  paper  was  called  The  New  York  Weekly  Gazette, 
and  was  the  organ  of  the  government.  An  apprentice  and  business 
partner  with  Bradford,  named  John  Peter  Zenger,  was  now  induced 
to  establish  an  opposition  paper,  through  which  the  growing  senti 
ment  of  democracy  might  find  expression.  Van  Dam  was  the  finan 
cial  backer  of  The  New  York  Weekly  Journal,  which  made  its 
appearance  in  November,  1733. 

As  might  be  supposed,  The  Journal  hotly  attacked  the  governor 
and  his  supporters.  It  did  so  with  biting  vigor,  and  made  serious 
charges  which  cut  the  deeper  because  they  had  a  foundation  in  fact. 
The  governor  and  his  friends  affected  to  treat  these  attacks  with  in 
difference ;  but  at  the  end  of  a  year  they  were  roused  to  action.  By 
order  of  the  governor  and  council,  Zenger's  papers,  containing  the 
exasperating  articles,  were  publicly  burned  by  the  common  hangman, 
and  he  was  arrested  and  thrown  into  prison  on  the  charge  of  libel- 


PBKIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AMD 
SHTTLB- 

MBNT 

1602 

TO 
1758 


Early 
Metro 
politan 
News 
papers 


1 62 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  x 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


The  Lib 
erty  of 

the  Press 
Vindi 
cated 


Alleged 
Negro 
Plots, 

1740-41 


ling  the  government.  The  Grand  Jury,  however,  refused  to  find  an 
indictment,  but  Zenger  was  held  by  adopting  another  course,  which 
was  such  a  defiance  of  right  and  decency  that  the  sympathy  for  Zen 
ger  and  contempt  for  the  governor  became  universal. 

The  master-stroke  of  the  accused  was  in  engaging  the  venerable 
Andrew  Hamilton,  of  Philadelphia,  as  his  counsel.  He  was,  at  the 
period,  the  most  eminent  lawyer  in  the  colonies,  and  although  past 
three-score  and  ten,  and  quite  infirm,  he  willingly  undertook  without 
fee  the  defence  of  the  persecuted  journalist.  x  He  did  this  with  mas 
terly  skill,  and  despite  the  fact  that  the  judge  charged  strongly 
against  Zenger,  the  jury  were  absent  from  the  room  for  only  a  few 
minutes  when  they  returned  with  a  verdict  of  "  not  guilty."  The 
decision  was  received  with  expressions  of  delight,  and  Hamilton  was- 
lifted  upon  the  shoulders  of  some  of  the  enthusiastic  citizens  and 
carried  out  of  the  court-room  amid  the  hurrahs  of  the  people.  It 
was  a  notable  victory  for  the  liberty  of  the  press. 

Governor  Cosby  was  humiliated  by  his  defeat,  but  there  was  no- 
help  for  him.  It  was  he  who  had  made  the  attack  and  met  with 
repulse.  He  died  in  March,  1736,  and  was  succeeded  by  George 
Clark,  the  oldest  member  of  the  council,  whose  character  was  much 
the  same  as  that  of  his  predecessor.  The  most  notable  event  of  his 
administration  was  the  "  Negro  Plot"  of  New  York. 

In  the  winter  of  1740-1741,  a  number  of  incendiary  fires  occurred 
in  the  city,  and  suspicion  was  turned  against  the  negro  slaves,  a  large- 
number  of  whom  were  then  in  the  metropolis.  In  such  cases,  preju 
dice  or  mere  hearsay  is  sufficient  to  implant  in  the  public  mind  a 
suspicion  of  guilt.  Although  there  was  not  the  slightest  evidence 
against  the  negroes,  a 'panic  ensued,  during  which  four  white  people 
and  eighteen  negroes  were  hanged,  and  eleven  of  the  latter  burned 
to  death  at  the  stake.  On  the  spot  where  the  City  Hall  stands,  three 
negroes  were  burned  at  the  same  time,  while  many  were  transported 
to  the  West  Indies  before  the  senseless  panic  subsided.  From  this- 
time  forward  until  the  French  and  Indian  war,  the  events  in  New- 
York  are  of  little  public  importance. 


CHAPTER    XI 
THE    COLONIAL    HI-STORY   OF  NEW  ENGLAND 

[Authorities:  The  literature  is  naturally  extensive  that  enters  into  details  respecting 
the  early  colonization  and  methods  of  government  among  the  Puritan  Commonwealths 
of  New  England.  Around  this  cradle  of  the  liberties  of  the  New  World  the  American 
intellect  has  taken  pride  in  weaving  literary  garlands,  to  add  to  its  historic  and  religious 
lustre.  How  richly  this  section  of  our  country  has  been  treated  of  and  illustrated,  the 
following  important  works  bear  ample  witness  :  Palfrey's  "  History  of  New  England," 
Ellis's  "Puritan  Age  and  Rule,"  Campbell's  "  The  Puritan  in  Holland,  England,  and 
America,"  Baird's  "Huguenot  Emigration  to  America,"  Bliss's  "Colonial  Times," 
Goodwin's  "  Pilgrim  Republic,"  Fi?ke's  "  The  Beginnings  of  New  England,"  and  Drake's 
"The  Making  of  New  England."  Nor  was  New  England  settlement  without  con 
temporary  pens  to  throw  light  upon  its  early  life,  as  is  evidenced  in  the  publication  of 
works  such  as  Cotton  Mather's  "  Magnalia,"  Winthrop's  "  New  England,"  and  Bradford's 
"  History  of  the  Plymouth  Plantation."] 

|HERE  are  several  words  whose  meaning  is  often 
confused  by  the  students  of  history.  We  have 
often  heard  the  names  "  Puritans/'  "  Pilgrims," 
"  Independents,"  "  Separatists,"  and  "  Non-con 
formists"  used  as  if  they  referred  to  the  same  per 
sons,  but  this  use  is  not  strictly  correct. 

During  the  sixteenth  century  a  marked  differ, 
ence  of  views  arose  among  the  members  of  the 
Church  of  England,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  termed,  the  Episcopal 
Church.  A  large  number  of  that  ecclesiastical  body  were  dissa*i?.fi  id 
because  some  of  the  ceremonies  and  practices  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
faith  were  retained,  and  they  insisted  that  all  should  be  removed, — in 
other  words,  that  the  Church  should  be  purified  of  them.  More 
than  one  clergyman  refused  to  conform  to  the  requirements  of  the 
new  order  of  things.  These  people  were  called  "  Non-conformists." 
and  in  derision  were  styled  "  Puritans."  A  Puritan  was  a  member 


The 

English 
Puri- 


164 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xi 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
I6O2 

TO 

1758 


The 
Sects 


Ring 


of  the  Church  of  England,  who  demanded  and  strove  for  certain 
changes  in  public  worship  but  did  not  withdraw  from  the  Church. 

But  there  were  others  who  were  so  dissatisfied  that  they  left  the 
Church  and  worshipped  apart.  These  persons  were  known  as  "  Inde 
pendents,"  or  "  Separatists,"  and,  like  the  Puritans,  of  course  were 
Non-conformists.  It  may  be  well,  perhaps,  to  bear  in  mind,  that  while 

the  Puritans,  Non-conform 
ists,  Separatists,  and  Inde 
pendents  held  to  the  same 
belief,  the  first  two  named 
stayed  within  the  Church, 
while  the  Independents  or 
Separatists  withdrew  from  it. 
These  people  were  cruelly 
persecuted  because  of  their 
faith ;  but  they  bore  their 
sufferings  meekly,  believing 
that  when  James  came  to  the 
throne  of  England  he  would 
treat  them  with  justice.  In 
some  cases,  when  the  perse 
cution  was  too  great  to  be 
borne,  the  Independents  emi 
grated  to  Holland,  where  re 
ligious  freedom  existed  for  all. 
A  wretched  disappointment  came  to  the  sufferers  when  Queen 
Elizabeth  died  and  James  I.  became  king.  One  of  England's  best 
historians  has  written  of  this  monarch :  "  He  was  cunning,  covetous, 
wasteful,  idle,  drunken,  greedy,  dirty,  cowardly,  a  great  swearer,  and 
the  most  conceited  man  .on  earth."  What  good  could  be  expected 
from  such  a  ruler  ?  Yet  the  religious  discussions,  which  arose  partly 
out  of  James's  assumption  of  "  Divine  Right"  to  rule,  led  to  the 
appointment  of  a  learned  commission  of  profound  scholars  to  make 
the  translation  of  the  Bible  since  almost  exclusively  used  throughout 
the  Protestant  world  until  the  late  Revised  Version  appeared. 

Meanwhile,  the  Separatists  who  had  emigrated  to  Holland  were 
steadily  increasing  in  number  through  the  accessions  of  their  per 
secuted  brethren.  They  united  themselves  at  Leyden,  in  Holland, 
where  their  upright  and  godly  lives  won  the  respect  of  their  Dutch 


ELDER    BREWSTER'S   CHAIR 


CHAP,  xi     COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF   NEW   ENGLAND 


165 


neighbors.  The  eloquent  John  Robinson  was  their  pastor,  and  Wil 
liam  Brewster  *  their  chief  elder.  Although  freed  from  persecution, 
they  could  not  feel  contented,  surrounded  as  they  were  by  those  who 
spoke  another  tongue,  and  whose  customs  and  manner  of  living  were 
so  different  from  their  own.  They  longed  to  go  elsewhere,  and  noth 
ing  was  more  natural,  therefore,  than  that  their  hearts  should  go 
out  in  longing  to  the  New  World.  They  discussed  the  project  of  re 
moving  thither,  and  strove  t  /  consider  and  duly  weigh  every  difficulty 


PBRIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 
TO 
1758 


THIS  TABLET  IS  ERECTED  BY  THE 
PILGRIM  SOCIETY  OP  PLYMOUTH, 
MASSACHUSETTS,   UNITED  STATES   Or 
AMERICA,  TO  MARK  THE  SITE   OP  THE 
ANCIENT  MANOR  HOUSE,  WHERE  LIVED 

WILLIAM  BREWSTER,      ' 

TROM  1588  TO  1608,  AND  WHERE  HE 
ORGANIZED  THE  PILGRIM  CHURCH,  OP 
WHICH  HE  BECAME  RULING  ELDER,  AND 
WITH  WHICH,  IN  1608,  HE  REMOVED  TO 
AMSTERDAM,  IN  1609  TO  LEYDEN,  AND  IN 
1620  TO  PLYMOUTH,  WHERE  HE  DIED. 
APRIL  16,  1644. 


TABLET  ERECTED  AT  SCROOBY,  NOTTS 


It  was  the  subject  of  many 
the  will  of   God  that  they 


which  they  were  likely  to  have  to  face. 
prayers,  with  the  decision  that  it  was 
should  emigrate  to  America. 

The  Council  of  Plymouth  received   its  charter  in   1620,  thereby 

*  THE  BREWSTEK  TABLET.  —  An  interesting  memorial  was,  in  the  summer  of  1895, 
erected  at  Scrooby,  Nottinghamshire,  England,  by  the  Pilgrim  Society  of  Plymouth, 
Mass.,  to  mark  the  site  of  the  English  home  of  William  Brewster,  the  founder  and  one 
of  the  ruling  elders  of  the  Pilgrim  Church  of  New  England.  Brewster,  while  in  Eng 
land,  was  one  of  the  illustrious  sufferers  for  conscience*  sake,  and,  after  his  liberation  from 
jail  he  removed  to  Holland,  then  to  the  New  World  in  the  Mayflower,  A  transcript  of 
the  commemorating  tablet,  which  is  affixed  to  a  farmhouse  at  Scrooby,  on  the  site  of 
Brewster's  ancient  manor-house,  is  shown  on  this  page. 


1 66 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xi 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


King 

James 

and  the 

Puritans 


Sailing 
of  the 
"May 
flower," 

Sept. 
6th,  1620 


superseding  the  original  Plymouth  Company,  but  while  the  negotia 
tion  was  under  way,  two  agents  of  the  Leyden  congregation  visited 
England,  with  the  request  that  they  should  be  allowed  to  settle 
within  the  territory  of  the  Plymouth  Company,  and  asking  a  guaran 
tee  from  the  king  of  religious  freedom.  The  king  refused  a  written 
promise,  but  assured  them  that  they  should  not  be  disturbed  so  long 
as  they  gave  no  public  offence.  His  royal  word,  as  we  know,  was 
worthless;  but  since  nothing  better  could  be  gained,  the  exiles 
decided  to  take  the  risk. 

A  joint-stock  association,  with  a  number  of  London  merchants^ 
was  formed.  By  its  terms  all  profits  were  to  be  reserved  for  seven 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  period  everything  was  to  be  divided  pro 
portionately  among  the  shareholders.  Those  who  were  too  poor  to 
pay  cash  for  their  passage  were  to  pay  the  debt  in  the  form  of  labor 
or  other  services. 

The  Pilgrims — as  they  soon  came  to  be  called,  because  of  their 
wanderings — showed  prudence  and  worldly  wisdom  in  all  the  steps  of 
this  important  movement.  The  negotiations  occupied  several  years, 
and  when  completed,  it  was  arranged  that  "  the  youngest  and  strong 
est"  members  should  go  to  America,  under  the  spiritual  charge  of 
Elder  Brewster,  and  that  Mr.  John  Robinson,  a  zealous >  clergyman, 
and  the  remainder  should  follow  a  year  later,  provided  the  reports 
from  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic  were  favorable.  The  Mayflower, 
of  one  hundred  and  eighty  tons  burden,  and  the  Speedwell,  of  sixty 
tons,  were  bought,  the  latter  in  Holland,  to  carry  the  members  of  the 
congregation  that  could  go  to  England,  where  the  Mayfloiver  was 
moored  in  the  Thames,  taking  in  its  cargo  of  stores  for  the  voyage. 
The  parting  between  the  friends  and  coreligionists  was  of  a  solemn 
and  impressive  nature. 

The  two  ships  soon  set  out ;  but  the  Speedwell  was  found  to  be 
leaky  and  unseaworthy.  Her  passengers  were,  however,  transferred 
to  the  Mayflower,  while  the  Speedwell  remained  behind  at  London. 
Early  in  September,  1620,  the  Mayflower  sailed  from  Plymouth, 
carrying,  besides  her  crew,  over  one  hundred  persons  with  which  to 
found  a  colony  in  the  New  World. 

The  voyage  of  the  Mayflower  was  in  its  issue  one  of  the  most  noted 
undertakings  in  history.  For  over  two  months  the  little  vessel  was 
tossed  about  on  the  stormy  Atlantic,  ofttimes  in  such  danger  that 
a  number  urged  turning  about,  as  did  the  mutinous  mariners  of  Co- 


i68  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP.  XI 

PERIOD  ii    lumbus ;  but  the  majority  were  stout-hearted  and  had  fully  "  counted 
the  cost,"  so  the  vessel  kept  on.     Finally,  on  the  gih  of  November, 
the  l°w»  sancty  peninsula  of  Cape  Cod  was  sighted,  and  all  gave  thanks 
1002       to  God.     As  we  can  well  understand,  the  principal  theme  on  ship- 
1758       board  was  the  new  country,  and  what  they  all  expected  to  do  when 
they  reached  it.     Naturally,  there  was  some  difference  of  opinion  as 
to  the  best  form  of  government  to  be  adopted,  and  again  the  Pil 
grims  showed  their  wisdom  by  drawing  up  the  following  instrument 
in  the  cabin  of  the  Mayflower,  which  was  signed  by  the  forty-one 
adult  male  emigrants : 

nanTfor  "  ^n  ^e  name  of  God,  Amen.  We  whose  names  are  here  under- 
the  Good  written,  the  loyal  subjects  of  our  dread  sovereign,  King  James,  by 
mentTf"  tne  grace  of  God,  of  Great  Britain,  France,  and  Ireland,  King, 
the  Defender  of  the  Faith,  etc.,  having  undertaken,  for  the  glory  of  God, 
and  advancement  of  the  Christian  faith,  and  honor  of  our  king  and 
country,  a  voyage  to  plant  the  first  colony  in  the  northern  parts  of 
Virginia,  do,  by  these  presents,  solemnly  and  mutually,  in  the  pres 
ence  of  God  and  of  one  another,  covenant  and  combine  ourselves 
together  into  a  civil  body  politic  for  our  better  ordering  and  preserva 
tion,  and  in  furtherance  of  the  ends  aforesaid ;  and  by  virtue  hereof  to 
enact,  constitute,  and  frame  just  and  equal  laws,  ordinances,  acts,  con 
stitutions,  and  offices,  from  time  to  time  as  shall  be  thought  most 
meet  and  convenient  for  the  general  good  of  the  colony ;  unto  which 
we  promise  all  due  submission  and  obedience.  In  witness  whereof 
we  have  hereunto  subscribed  our  names  at  Cape  Cod,  the  nth  of 
November,  in  the  year  of  the  reign  of  our  sovereign  lord,  King 
James,  of  England,  France,  and  Ireland,  the  eighteenth,  and  of  Scot 
land  the  fifty-fourth,  Anno  Domini  1620." 

Governor       On  the  voyage  across  there  had  been  one  death  and  one  birth,  so 
and  '    that  the   original    number   remained   the   same.     John    Carver  was 
Standish  cnosen  governor  for  the  first  year,  and  in  doubt  whether  the  best  spot 
had  been  selected  for  settlement,  .Captain  Miles  Standish  and  a  num 
ber  of  men  were  sent  ashore  to  spy  out  the  country. 

It  was  no  easy  task.  The  weather  was  intensely  cold,  and  the 
snow  was  driven  in  their  faces  by  the  furious  wind  as  the  explorers 
tramped  through  the  deep  sand.  Standish  was  a  little  fellow,  with 
"a  long  yellow  beard,"  but  as  full  of  sturdy  heroism  and  integrity  as 
was  John  Smith,  of  Virginia.  He  was  a  soldier  by  profession,  and 
though  not  a  member  of  the  Independent  Church,  he  liked  the  sim- 


CHAP,  x)     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW   ENGLAND 


169 


pie,   honest  ways  of    the   Pilgrims,   and  gladly  went  with  them    to    PERIOD  n 
America. 

The  party  had  not  tramped  far  when  they  caught  sight  of  a  num- 
ber  of  Indians  curiously  watching  them  from  a  distance.      Standish 


MILES   STANDISH'S   SWORD 

beckoned  them  to  approach,  but  the  white  men  whom  they  had  met 
before  were  kidnappers  and  the  warriors  discreetly  kept  at  a  distance. 
While  wandering  along  the  beach  an  iron  utensil  was  found,  which 
must  have  belonged  to  some  earlier  visitors,  since  the  Indians  knew 
nothing  about  the  manufacture  of  iron.  Near-by,  the  appearance  of 
the  ground  showed  that  something  had  been  buried,  and,  upon  digging 
down,  several  bushels  of  Indian  corn  were  discovered  where  the  own 
ers  had  hidden  it.  The  supply  was  most  welcome  to  the  Pilgrims, 
and  Standish  took  it  all,  but  it  was  far  from  his  thoughts  to  steal  it. 
He  would  have  been  glad  to  pay  for  it,  then  and  there,  but  that  was 
impossible,  for  the  Indians  could  not  be  induced  to  come  near.  Six 

months  later,  however,  Standish  met 
the  owners,  and  honestly  paid  them 
in  full. 

More  than  a  month  was  spent  in 
searching  for  the  right  locality  for 
settlement,  which  at  last  was  found. 
On  Monday,  December  nth  (Old 
Style,  or  December  2ist,  New  Style), 
Miles  Standish  and  a  few  companions 
went  ashore,  the  remainder  on  the 
Mayflower  following  a  couple  of  weeks 
later.  They  began  building  a  num 
ber  of  cabins  and  a  storehouse,  en 
closing  all  with  strong,  high  palisades 
POT  AND  PLATTER  OF  MILES  STANDISH  as  a  protection  against  Indians  and 


TION  AND 


Landing 
of  the 

Pil 
grims, 

Dec. 

2 1  St. 

1620 


I/O 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xi 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 
TO 

1758 


Suffer 
ings 
of  the 
Ply 
mouth 
colonists 


MILES  STANDISH'S   HOUSE 


wild  beasts,  and  using  oiled  paper  for  glass  in  the  windows.  The 
ground  was  staked  off,  and  the  company  divided  into  nineteen  fami 
lies.  Thus  were  laid  the 
foundations  of  the  first  per 
manent  settlement  in  New 
England,  which  was  named 
Plymouth,  in  remembrance 
of  the  port  from  which  they 
sailed  in  England. 

It  will  be  borne  in  mind 
that  at  this  time  the  James 
town  colony  in  Virginia 
was  thirteen  years  old,  and 
that  the  Dutch  had  erected 
several  cabins  and  built  a 
fort  on  Manhattan  Island 

seven  years  before  the  arrival  of  the  Pilgrims,  while  the  weak  Span 
ish  colony  at  St.  Augustine,  in  Florida,  was  more  than  half-a-cen- 
tury  old. 

It  was  fortunate  that  the  New  England  pioneers  were  rugged, 
strong,  and  inspired  by  an  unshakable  faith  in  their  mission  in  the 
New  World;  for  they  were 
soon  tested  to  the  utmost 
extent  of  human  endurance. 
Their  food  was  scant,  and  not 
all  of  it  wholesome ;  they  had 
no  delicacies,  and  the  weather 
was  severe,  even  for  New 
England,  where  the  winters 
are  sometimes  of  an  arctic 
severity.  A  number  of  the 
Pilgrims  were  compelled  to 
stay  on  board  the  Mayflower, 
where  the  food  and  accom 
modation  were  so  poor  that 
sickness  soon  showed  itself. 
When  spring  came,  ailments 
of  the  lungs,  and  kindred  dis 
eases,  had  carried  off  forty-  GOVERNOR  CARVER'S  CHAIR 


CHAP,  xi     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW   ENGLAND 


171 


four  of  their  number.  At  one  time,  indeed,  there  were  only  seven 
well  persons  in  the  whole  company.  Governor  Carver's  son  was 
among  the  first  victims,  and  the  governor  himself  died  in  April,  his 
sorrowing  wife  soon  following  him  to  the  grave.  William  Bradford 
was  chosen  governor,  and  held  the  office  for  a  number  of  years.  To 
him,  more  perhaps  than  to  any  other  human  instrument,  were  due 
the  sterling  character  and  final  success  of  the  Plymouth  colony. 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 

Governor 
William 
Bradford 


VISIT    OF    SAMOSET 


The  settlers  held  the  savages  in  great  dread,  and  they  were,  there 
fore,  delighted  one  day,  in  early  spring,  when  a  fine-looking  Indian 
stalked  out  of  the  woods,  and,  with  his  dusky  face  aglow,  repeated 
several  times,  in  a  distinct  voice,  "  Welcome,  Englishmen  !  welcome  !" 
The  astonished  white  men  received  him  cordially,  and  he  showed  a 
wish  to  be  friendly.  His  name  was  Samoset,  and  he  had  picked  up 
a  few  words  of  English  from  some  fishermen  on  the  coast  of  Maine. 
He  belonged  to  the  Wampanoag  tribe  of  Indians,  and  was  treated  so 
kindly  that  a  few  days  later  he  came  back  with  his  chief,  Massasoit. 


Visit  of 

Mas- 

sasoit 

and 


162* 


172 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xi 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


The 

Message 

of  Ca- 

nonicus, 

and  its 

Retort, 

1622 


Miles 

Standish 

saves 

the 
Wey- 
mouth 
Settle 
ment, 
1623 


whose  reception  was  of  the  most  generous  nature,  and  so  won  his 
good-will,  that  he  made  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  whites,  which  was 
not  broken  for  more  than  a  generation. 

As  the  summer  advanced,  the  condition  of  the  colonists  brightened. 
Their  health  mended,  the  land  yielded  to  cultivation,  the  forest 
abounded  with  game,  and  fish  were  plentiful  in  the  streams.  The 
Mayflower,  which  had  returned  to  England  shortly  before  Governor 
Carver  died,  brought  over  more  immigrants.  Friendly  relations  with 
most  of  the  Indians  were  maintained,  though  the  watchful  Standish 
knew  that  many  of  them  could  not  be  trusted.  The  Narragansetts 
were  the  most  hostile  tribe,  and  numbered  several  thousand  warriors. 
They  had  looked  with  sullen  faces  upon  the  coming  of  the  white 
men.  They  refused  to  sign  a  treaty  of  peace  with  them,  and  soon 
prepared  to  take  the  war-path. 

To  show  their  contempt  of  the  intruders,  Canonicus,  the  Narra- 
gansett  chief,  sent  Governor  Bradford  a  bundle  of  arrows  inclosed 
in  a  rattlesnake  skin.  This  so  plainly  meant  a  declaration  of  war 
that  the  doughty  governor  did  not  for  a  moment  mistake  its  pur 
port.  He  immediately  filled  the  snake-skin  with  powder  and  balls 
and  sent  it  back  to  the  chief,  who  read  its  message  aright :  "  Powder 
and  ball  are  what  we  will  give  you ;  come  on  !"  But  Canonicus  was 
too  frightened  to  accept  the  challenge,  and  the  colonists  were  not 
molested  for  some  time. 

But  the  most  certain  of  all  events  was  that  the  whites  very  soon 
would  give  the  savages  good  cause  for  enmity.  A  rich  but  dissatis 
fied  member  of  the  Plymouth  Company  sent  over  sixty  unmarried 
men,  to  plant  a  settlement  at  Weymouth,  on  the  shores  of  Massachu 
setts  Bay.  They  were  idle,  dissipated,  and  vicious ;  and,  too  lazy  to 
work  themselves,  began  plundering  the  neighboring  Indians.  This 
incensed  the  savages,  who  formed  a  scheme  to  kill,  not  only  ±he 
guilty,  but  all  the  white  people  in  the  country. 

The  plot  was  laid  as  carefully  as  was  that  of  Opechankano  in 
Virginia  about  the  same  time,  and  would  have  succeeded  had  not,  as 
in  that  case,  warning  been  given  by  a  friendly  Indian.  It  was  Mas- 
sasoit  who  revealed  the  peril  to  the  settlers  in  Massachusetts,  and  he 
took  care  to  do  it  in  time.  Miles  Standish  was  therefore  sent  with 
eight  soldiers  to  protect  the  imperilled  Englishmen  at  Weymouth. 
A  brisk  fight  followed,  and  a  chief  and  several  of  his  warriors  were 
killed.  Standish  carried  the  head  of  the  chief  on  a  pole  to  Ply- 


CHAP,  xi     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW   ENGLAND 


173 


mouth,  where  it  was  displayed  on  the  palisades  of  the  fort.  When 
the  devout  Robinson  at  Leyden  received  news  of  the  affair,  he  ex 
pressed  his  gratitude  to  God,  but  at  the  same  time  spoke  of  hL  regret 
that  Standish  had  forgotten  to  convert  some  of  the  Indians  before 
shooting  them. 

Although  the  Weymouth  colony  was  saved,  it  soon  fell  apart,  and 
the  worst  members  returned  to  England.  The  plan  of  toiling  •»  id 
holding  all  things  in  common  did  not  work  satisfactorily,  and  in  1623 
the  experiment  was  tried  01  allotting  a  certain  area  of  land  to  each 
settler.  The  result  was  so  excellent,  that,  as  in  Virginia,  the  old 
method  was  never  used  again. 

Some  of  the  troubles  endured  by  the  first  settlers  in  Massachusetts 
were  of  a  sectarian  character.  They  longed  to  brinp-  over  Mr.  Robin 
son,  their  Leyden  past  r.  He  was  regarded  as  the  head  of  the  Non 
conformist  movement,  even  though  he  remained  in  Holland.  To 
please  the  Crown,  and  in  the  hope  of  securing  gain,  the  Plymouth 
Company  opposed  the  removal  of  Mr.  Robinson  to  America,  and  that 
good  man  never  saw  the  beloved  church  that  had  been  planted  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  With  a  view  to  bringing  the  Pilgrims 
under  the  control  of  the  Church  of  England,  John  Lyford,  a  hypo 
critical  preacher,  was  sent  to  the  colony  by  the  intriguers.  He 
found  an  ally  in  John  Oldham,  a  member  of  the  community  who  had 
a  "grievance."  The  real  business  of  the  two  was  suspected,  and 
Bradford,  Brewster,  and  Winslow  soon  brought  home  the  proof  to  the 
evil  men,  who  confessed.  Oldham  was  banished,  but  Lyford  fairly 
bellowed  his  penitence  and  was  allowed  to  stay.  He  was  soon  de 
tected  at  his  tricks  again,  and  was  deposed  from  the  ministry  and 
sent  away  from  Plymouth,  returning  to  the  colony  some  years  later  to 
be,  however,  pardoned  again. 

Rev.  John  White,  of  Trinity  Church,  Dorchester,  England,  sought 
to  plant  a  fishing  colony  at  Cape  Ann,  on  the  present  site  of  Glou 
cester,  but  the  attempt  was  a  failure.  Subsequently,  however,  a 
company  was  formed,  in  1628,  and  a  tract  of  land  was  purchased, 
which  extended  from  three  miles  north  of  the  Merrimac  River  to 
three  miles  south  of  the  Charles  River.  The  westward  boundary  of 
the  tract,  as  was  the  rule,  was  made  the  Pacific  Ocean.  What  a  long 
ribbon  of  land  that  would  have  been,  could  it  have  been  extended  to 
its  boundary,  three  thousand  miles  away ! 

In  the  summer  of  the  year  named,  the  Company  sent  a  number  of 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA- 
TION  AND 

SETTLB* 

MENT 

1602 

TO 

1758 


Lyford 

and 
Oldham 


174  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xi 

PERIOD  ii    immigrants  to  make  a  settlement  in  their  territory.     Among  them 

F°ON  AND"    was  Jonn  Endicotr,  who  was  commissioned  governor,  or  general  man- 

SSS!TB"     aSer  °f  tne  colony.     It  is  probable  that  at  that  time  there  were  a  few 

*^2       other  scattered  settlements  in  New  England,  though  there  is  no  trust- 

1758       worthy  record  of  them. 

Endicott  was  one  of  the  strictest  of  Puritans.  He  named  the  new 
settlement  Salem,  and  it  is  said  that  once  he  ordered  a  may-pole  cut 
down,  because  it  savored  of  "  godless  amusements."  Other  persons, 
some  of  whom  were  rich  and  influential,  joined  the  company,  and  in 
March,  J62Q,  they  were  granted  a  royal  charter,  creating  them  a  cor- 


the       poration,  with  the  name  of  "  The   Governor  and   Company  of  the 
ihusetts    Massachusetts  Bay,  in  New  England."     The  king  viewed  the  enter 


prise  as  a  trading  one,  and  yielded  all  jurisdiction.     The  government 
1629  was  invested  in  a  governor,  deputy,  and 

eighteen  assistants  or  magistrates,  elected 
annually  by  the  stockholders  of  the  com 
pany.  The  freemen  were  to  meet  in  gen 
eral  assembly  no  fewer  than  four  times  a 
year,  in  order  to  legislate  for  the  colony. 
It  should  be  remembered  that  the  Massa 
chusetts  Bay  Colony  was  founded  by  Puri 
tans,  while  that  at  Plymouth  was  composed 
of  Independents. 

John  Winthrop  was  now  chosen  gover- 

JOHN   WINTHROP  __ 

nor.     He  was   a  wealthy  lawyer,    of    the 

Governor  highest  -social  position,  and  a  learned  and  courtly  man.  He  sac- 
throp  rificed  much  in  order  to  become  a  pioneer  in  one  of  the  grandest 
movements  for  settlement  in  the  New  World.  Associated  with  him 
were  many  persons  of  prominence,  and  several  who  were  notable  for 
their  wealth.  It  may  be  said  that  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony  was 
launched  with  prospects  that  guaranteed  its  success  from  the  first. 

Winthrop  and  his  companions,  consisting  of  three  hundred  fam 
ilies,  arrived  at  Salem,  June  I2th,  1630.  That  which  met  his  eyes 
was  not  of  an  encouraging  character,  for  before  him  was  neither  a 
church  nor  a  town.  A  somewhat  pretentious  house  awaited  his  oc 
cupancy,  while  the  other  dwellings  consisted  of  a  few  miserable 
hovels.  Disease  had  been  busy,  and  soon  attacked  the  new-comers, 
carrying  off  by  autumn  two  hundred  out  of  the  one  thousand  arrivals. 
The  lack  of  food  became  so  distressing  that  Governor  Winthrop  ap- 


CHAP,  xi     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW    ENGLAND 


175 


plied  to  New  Plymouth  for  help,  and  the  response  was  prompt  and 
generous.  In  February,  1631,  a  ship  arrived  from  England  with 
an  abundance  of  stores,  and  joy  and  plenty  reigned.  Governor  Win- 
throp  expressed  the  feelings  of  the  majority  of  his  associates,  when 
he  wrote  to  his  wife  across  the  ocean  that  he  had  never  enjoyed  more 
peace  and  contentment  of  mind  than  in  Massachusetts. 

The  devout  governor  did  not  content  himself  with  settling  down 
at  Salem.     Some  of  his  people  began  putting  up  huts  at  Charlestown, 


GOVERNOR   JOHN    ENDICOTT 


where  several  had  already  been  erected  by  Endicott's  people.     Others 
located  at  Roxbury,  Cambridge,  Watertown,  and  Dorchester. 

Towards  the  close  of  1630,  a  party  from  Charlestown  settled  on 
the  present  site  of  Boston.  The  Indians  called  the  peninsula  Shaw- 
mut,  which  means  "  the  place  of  many  springs."  It  will  be  found  that 
this  name,  like  that  of  Samoset,  Massasoit,  and  other  noted  Indians, 
who  had  to  do  with  the  early  history  of  Massachusetts,  has  since 
been  treasured.  Three  hills  composed  the  peninsula,  and  for  a  time 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Found 
ing  of 
Charles- 
town  and 

other 
localities 


Found 
ing  of 
Boston, 
1630 


1/6 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xi 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 

SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


The 

First 
Person 

Exe 
cuted  at 

Ply 
mouth, 

1630 


it  was  called  Trimountain,  but  the  name  Boston  was  given  in  re 
membrance  of  the  native  town  of  many  of  the  immigrants  in  Lin 
colnshire.  A  large  number  of  people  arrived  during  the  season,  and 
the  place  rapidly  increased  in  population.  By  1634,  there  were  eight 
separate  settlements  in  Massachusetts,  and  the  colony  advanced  more 
rapidly  than  did  that  at  Plymouth.  Winthrop  was  re-elected  gover 
nor,  and  disappointed  the  hopes  of  no  one,  for  his  wisdom  was  as  not 
able  as  his  personal  character  was  exalted.  He  cultivated  friendship 
with  the  Indians,  as  did  Bradford  at  Plymouth ;  and  many  a  time 
have  the  chiefs  and  sachems  from  tribes  hundreds  of  miles  distant 
dined  at  his  table.  The  red  men  knew  him  as  a  just  person,  who  al 
ways  spoke  with  a  "  single  tongue." 

Winthrop  was  a  good  neighbor,  too,  to  the  other  colonies.  Travel 
ling  in  those  times  could  not  be  done  by  stages  any  more  than  by 
railway.  Vessels  passed  up  and  down  the  coast ;  but  a  journey  inland 
was  of  necessity  made  on  foot.  Winthrop,  who  was  in  rugged  health 
and  in  the  prime  of  life,  walked  more  than  once  from  Boston  to  Ply 
mouth,  to  call  upon  Governor  Bradford,  and  he  sent  a  request  to  the 
authorities  of  New  Netherland  to  meet  him  in  a  friendly  talk  over 
the  settlement  of  a  part  of  the  Connecticut  valley. 

Although  immigration  to  Massachusetts  lagged  for  a  time,  it  soon 
received  a  powerful  impetus  from  the  intense  persecution  of  the  Puri 
tans  in  England.  In  1635,  more  than  three  thousand  settlers,  in 
cluding  many  men  of  wealth  and  distinction,  came  to  Massachusetts. 
The  government  and  discipline  at  Plymouth,  and  at  Massachusetts  (as 
Winthrop's  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony  was  called),  were  very  rigid. 
In  the  latter,  no  one  could  be  an  officer  of  the  government  who  was 
not  a  member  of  some  church.  This  union  of  church  and  state 
caused  much  dissatisfaction,  which  was  not  quieted  until  the  union 
was  dissolved,  in  1665. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  first  person  hanged  at  Plymouth  was 
one  of  the  Mayflower  s  passengers.  His  name  was  John  Billinton, 
and  he  had  been  a  troublesome  person  from  the  beginning.  The  first 
offence  in  the  colony  was  committed  by  him  in  1 62 1 .  He  resisted  the 
command  of  the  captain,  with  so  violent  a  manner  and  speech,  that 
he  was  punished  by  having  his  neck  and  heels  tied  together.  Gov 
ernor  Bradford,  in  his  "  History  of  Plymouth  Plantation,"  thus  refers 
to  the  -melancholy  circumstance  of  his  execution  : 

"This  year  (1630)    John  Billinton,  ye  elder  (one  that  came  over 


CHAP,  xi     COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF   NEW   ENGLAND 

with  ye  first),  was  arrained,  and  both  by  grand  and  petie  jurie  found 
guilty  of  willful  murder,  by  plaine  and  notorious  evidence.     And  was    *%£*,££ 
for  the  same  accordingly  executed.     This,  as  it  was  ye  first  execution     :SSJf" 
amongst  them,  so  was  it  a  matter  of  great  sadnes  unto  them.     They       'JJJ8 
used  all  due  means  about  his  triale,  and  tooke  ye  advice  of  Mr.  Win-       'JS8 
throp  and  others  ye  ablest  gentle-men  in  ye  Bay  of  ye  Massachusets, 
that  were  then  new-ly  come  over,  who  concured  with  them  yt  he 
ought  to  dye,  and  ye  land  to  be  purged  from  blood.     He  and  some  of 
his  had  been  often  punished  for  miscariags  before,  being  one  of  ye 
profanest  families  amongst  them.     They  came  from  London,  and  I 
know  not  by  what  freinds  shufled  into  their  company.    His  factewas, 
that  he  way-laid  a  yong-man,  one  John  New-comin  (about  a  former 
quarele),  and  shote  him  with  a  gune,  whereof  he  dyed." 

The  ancient  Hubbard,  in  his  "History  of  New  England,"  says: 
"  The  murtherer  expected  that,  either  for  want  of  power  to  execute 
for  capital  offences,  or  for  want  of  people  to  increase  the  plantations, 
he  (Billinton)  should  have  his  life  spared;  but  justice  otherwise  de 
termined,  and  rewarded  him,  the  first  murtherer  of  his  neighbour 
there,  with  the  deserved  punishment  of  death  for  a  warning." 

The  ship  Lion  arrived  at  Boston,  early  in  the  year  1631,  with  ad-     Advent 
ditions  to  the  colony.     Among  the  latter  were  Roger  Williams  and     Roger 
his  wife.     Williams  was  a  Welsh  Puritan,  and  was  born  about  the  W*11™1* 
beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century.     He  was  eloquent  and  able, 
and,  like  many  a  pioneer  of  thought,  was  in  advance  of  his  times.     He 
was  liked  at  first,  and  was  elected  teacher  in  the  church  at  Boston. 
He,  however,  declined  the  honor,  it  is  said  because  the  church  people 
would  not  publicly  repent  for  having  communion  with  the  Church  of 
England.     Williams  declared  further  that  conscience  should  be  su 
preme,  and  that  the  magistrates  had  no  right  to  inflict  punishment 
for  Sabbath  desecration,  or  for  setting  at  defiance  any  one  of  the  first 
four  commandments.     He  violently  opposed  the  union  of  church  and 
state,  and  it  was  inevitable  that  he  should  give  offence  in  Boston. 
So  he  withdrew  to  Salem,  where  he  was  chosen  minister. 

Williams  became  more  zealous  than  ever  in  asserting  his  peculiar 
views.  He  maintained  with  vehemence  that  the  king  had  no  right 
to  grant  any  land  in  America  until  after  paying  the  Indians,  the 
rightful  owners,  for  the  same ;  nor  had  the  civil  power,  he  said,  moral 
warrant  for  interfering  with  a  person's  religious  faith.  The  young 
preacher  went  to  the  extreme  in  urging  his  views,  and  in  pleading  for 

12 


i;8  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xi 

PERIOD  ii    tolerance  became  intolerant  himself.      His  insistence  that  no  settler 
COLONIZA-    had  a  right  to  his  land  until  after  payment  to  the  aboriginal  owners 
SETTLE-     touched  the  Puritans  in  the  most  sensitive  spot.     The  governor  and 
1602       his  assistants  carefully  read  the  essay  which  Williams  wrote  respect- 
1758       ing  the  Indian  titles,  and  were  so  offended  that  they  ordered  him  to 
appear  at  the  next  general  court  for  censure.     He  obeyed,  and  ex 
plained  that  the  essay  was  written  for  the  private  reading  of  the  gov 
ernor  of  Plymouth,  and  the  matter  was  dropped  for  a  while. 

But  a   man  like  Williams  is  irrepressible,  and   after  a  time  the 

Banish-    authorities  lost  patience  with  him.     Sentence  of  banishment  was  pro- 
ment  of 

Wil-  nounced  against  him  in  1635,  in  the  following  words:  "  It  is  there- 
fore  ordered  that  the  said  Mr.  Williams  shall  depart  out  of  this 
jurisdiction  within  six  weeks  now  next  ensuing,  which,  if  he  neglect 
to  perform,  it  shall  be  lawful  for  the  governor  and  two  of  the  magis 
trates  to  send  him  to  some  place  out  of  this  jurisdiction,  not  to  re 
turn  any  more  without  licence  from  the  court." 

The  friends  of  Williams  were  indignant.  Edward  Winslow  was 
then  governor  of  Plymouth  and  strongly  sympathized  with  him,  while 
a  number  of  men  in  the  two  colonies  declared  that,  if  the  preacher 
were  banished,  they  would  become  his  companions  in  exile.  The 
magistrates  thought  to  calm  the  excitement  by  informing  Williams 
that  he  could  stay  in  Salem  until  the  following  spring.  Thereupon 
Williams  preached  his  unwelcome  doctrines  with  greater  persistence 
than  ever.  There  is  reason  to  suspect  that  he  had  formed  a  plan  for  the 
founding  of  a  new  colony  in  the  wilderness,  so  that  the  sentence  of 
banishment  was  not  held  in  special  dread.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the 
preacher's  course  became  so  intolerable  that  Governor  Haynes  deter 
mined  to  send  him  back  to  England.  Williams  refused  to  appear 
before  the  magistrates  at  Boston,  and  they  sent  a  pinnace  to  Salem 
with  a  warrant  to  Captain  Underbill  to  capture  and  put  him  on  board 
a  vessel  about  to  sail  for  the  motherland. 

Captain  Underbill  set  out  to  obey  the  order;  but  upon  reaching 
Salem  he  discovered  that  some  one  had  warned  Williams,  and  he  had 
fled.  This  "friend  in  need"  was.no  less  a  person  than  ex-Governor 
Winthrop,  who  was  strongly  attached  to  Williams.  With  the  warn 
ing  secretly  sent,  Williams  was  at  the  same  time  counselled  to  enter 
the  Narragansett  country  and  throw  himself  upon  the  generosity  of  the 
.  Indians,  many  of  whom  knew  and  liked  the  honest  preacher. 

Williams    accepted    this  advice.     On  a  wintry  night,  when  -the 


CHAP,  xi     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW   ENGLAND 


'79 


ground  was  covered  with  snow,  he  kissed  his  wife  and  two  children    PERIOD  n 
good-by,  and  strode  off  in  the  darkness,  staff  in  hand,  a  scrip  over 
his  shoulders,  and  with  the  cutting  wind  moaning  through  the  leafless 
branches  overhead.     Tramping  sturdily  forward,  the  exile  made  his 
way  to  the  lodge  of  the  venerable  chief  Massasoit,  who  welcomed  him 
warmly,  and  gave  him  a  large  tract  of  land  on  the  Seekonk  River. 
Canonicus,  the  chieftain  who,  years  before,  had  sent  the  bundle  of 
arrows,  wrapped  about  with  rattlesnake  skin,  to  Governor  Bradford, 
was  equally  cordial,  and  remained  the  devoted  friend  of  the  exile. 
•With  the  coming  of  spring,  Williams  and  five  other  persons  from 


COLONIZA* 
TION  AND 

SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


ROGER    WILLIAMS    IN    EXILE 


Salem,  who  had  joined  him,  began  building  a  house ;  but  a  gentle 
reminder  came  from  Governor  Winslow,  of  Plymouth,  that  they  were 
within  the  boundary  of  the  Plymouth  grant,  adding  that,  to  avoid  all 
possible  trouble,  it  would  be  well  to  move  a  little  farther  west;  where 
they  would  be  outside  of  both  domains.  So  Williams  and  his  friends 
pursued  their  course  down  the  Seekonk  into  an  expansion  of  the 
stream,  where  they  landed  on  what  is  still  known  as  "Roger  Wil 
liams'  Rock,"  and  began  the  settlement,  in  the  summer  of  1636,  of  a 
town  which,  in  acknowledgment  of  God's  goodness,  was  named  Provi 
dence. 

This  city,  which  in  time  became  one  of  the  most  important  in  New 
England,  was  not  the  first  settlement  in  the  region  south  of  Massa- 


First 
Settle. 
ment  in 
Rhode 
Island 
by  Roger 

Wil 
liams,  at 
Provi 
dence. 

1636 


AND 


I8o  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xi 

PERIOD  ii  chusetts.  In  1633,  the  Dutch  erected  Fort  Good  Hope,  near  the 
°L  "  present  city  of  Hartford,  and  the  whole  of  the  valley  was  claimed  by 
the  Dutch  West  India  Company.  In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year, 
the  Plymouth  authorities  sent  William  Holmes  by  sea  to  the  Con- 
1758  necticut  to  found  a  settlement.  The  Dutch  threatened  to  fire  upon 
him,  if  he  attempted  to  pass  the  post.  Holmes  showed  his  commis 
sion  from  the  governor,  and  said  he  must  go  on,  with  or  without  the 
consent  of  the  fort  commandant.  Permission  was  given  him,  and  he 
put  together  the  framework  of  a  house  which  he  had  brought  with 
him,  on  the  site  of  the  town  of  Windsor,  six  miles  above  the  fort. 
The  following  year,  Governor  Van  Twiller  sent  a  force  from  New 
Amsterdam  to  drive  out  the  intruders  ;  but  they  held  fast,  and  soon 
established  a  profitable  trade  with  the  Indians. 
First  This  was  tne  first  incident  in  the  founding  of  Connecticut  by  emi- 

&Ct  L   6" 

•nent  in    grants  from  Massachusetts.     They  went  from  Dorchester,  Newtown, 

•tectictit    (now   Cambridge)    Roxbury,   and  other   towns,  Wethersfield  being 

i&33      founded  in  the  winter  of  1635.     In  the  autumn  of  this  year,  John 

Winthrop,    the  younger  son  of  Governor  Winthrop,  arrived  with  a 

commission  as  governor  of  Connecticut,  under  the  patent  of  Lord 

Say-and-Seal,  Lord  Brooke,  John  Pym,  John  Hampden,  and  others. 

Young  Winthrop,  to  use  a  common  expression,  "meant  business." 
It  was  his  purpose  to  build  a  fort  at  the  entrance  to  the  river,  but  be 
fore  he  could  carry  out  his  intention,  a  Dutch  vessel  arrived  on  the 
same  mission.  To  their  amazement,  the  Dutchmen  found  a  battery 
of  two  cannon  and  a  number  of  armed  men  awaiting  to  dispute  their 
landing.  The  captain  of.  the  ship  quietly  surveyed  the  ground,  and 
then  turned  about  and  set  sail  again  for  New  Amsterdam.  Winthrop 
named  the  place  Saybrook,  in  honor  of  Lords  Say  and  Brooke,  and 
there  built  a  stronghold.  The  Dutch  still  held  the  post  at  Good 
Hope,  which  was  their  only  possession  in  that  region. 

The  emigration  from  Massachusetts  was  so  rapid  that  Connecticut 
had  a  population  of  nearly  three  thousand  in  1635.  In  the  following 
June,  the  whole  church  at  Newtown  was  removed  thither,  under 
charge  of  the  ministers,  Thomas  Hooker  and  Samuel  Stone.  The 
Found-  settlement  which  they  founded  was  named  Hartford,  in  compliment 
to  Mr-  Stone,  who  was  a  native  of  Hertford,  England.  Springfield 


ford,      was  planted  a  little  way  up  the  river,  and  Windsor  and  Wethersfield 
4636      were  thus  severally  named  by  the  pioneers  who  had  selected  those 
sites. 


5 


182 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAR  xi 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


Roger 
Williams 
prevents 

the 

Narra- 
gansetts 
from  join 
ing  the 
Pequods 
in  a  War 
upon  the 
Settle 
ments 


While  the  settlement  of  Connecticut  was  progressing  in  this  vigor 
ous  fashion,  Roger  Williams,  over  in  Rhode  Island,  was  not  idlej 
The  freedom  of  conscience  enjoyed  at  Providence  drew  many  people 
thither  from  Boston  and  other  towns  in  Massachusetts.  Williams  re 
served  no  political  power  to  himself,  but  seemed  to  be  actuated  solely 
by  the  desire  to  make  happy  all  those  around  him.  He  was  strenuous 
in  asserting  his  own  views  (and  it  cannot  by  any  means  be  claimed 
that  all  of  them  were  wise) ;  but  he  and  his  associates  resolutely  re 
frained  from  interfering  with  the  rights  of  others.  His  beloved  wife 
had,  ere  this,  joined  him  in  his  wilderness  home,  and  she  gladly  shared 
all  his  toils  and  trials. 

It  was  impossible  for  a  man  with  the  disposition  of  Williams  to 
feel  any  resentment  towards  Massachusetts  because  of  the  harsh  treat 
ment  he  had  received  at  her  hands.  He  had  many  devoted  friends 
among  her  people,  and,  besides,  all  were  his  "  brothers ;"  so,  when 
he  learned  that  the  Pequod  Indians  were  using  their  utmost  endeavor 
to  persuade  the  powerful  Narragansett  tribe  to  join  them  in  a  war 
against  the  whites,  he  did  not  hesitate  as  to  his  course.  He  made 
haste  to  warn  Governor  Winthrop  of  the  danger,  and  sent  him  a  map 
of  the  country,  based  on  descriptions  received  from  the  Indians.  Win 
throp  replied  with  deep  gratitude,  and  urged  Williams  to  exert  his 
influence  to  keep  the  Narragansetts  from  joining  the  Pequods  in  the 
contemplated  war. 

Williams  needed  no  urging  in  the  matter.  It  was  a  long  way  to 
the  lodge  of  Canonicus ;  but  leaping  into  a  canoe,  he  paddled  through 
a  storm  across  Narragansett  Bay  to  the  residence  of  the  chieftain,  who 
had  but  to  say  the  word  that  would  let  loose  five  thousand  warriors 
to  spread  desolation  and  death  through  the  Connecticut  valley.  The 
preacher  knew  that  he  was  always  welcome ;  and  he  strode  into  the 
royal  wigwam  without  waiting  for  an  invitation. 

But  his  heart  sank  when  he  saw  the  Pequod  messengers  from  Sas- 
sacus,  their  chief,  engaged  in  appealing  to  Canonicus ;  for  the  expres 
sion  on  the  chieftain's  face  showed  that  he  was  hesitating,  if  he  was 
not  already  inclined  to  do  as  they  begged  him.  The  visitor  under 
stood  the  words  spoken,  and  saw  the  scowls  of  the  Pequods,  when 
they  turned  towards  him,  well  aware  of  his  errand.  But  for  the  re 
straining  presence  of  Canonicus,  they  would  have,  then  and  there,  slain 
him.  It  was  a  crucial  test  of  his  nerve ;  but,  without  a  moment's  hesi 
tation,  Williams  advanced  to  greet  his  old  friend,  and  with  all  the  elo 


CHAP.  XT     COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF   NEW   ENGLAND 


'83 


quence  he  could  command  urged  him  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  those  that 
were  inducing  him  to  do  evil. 

The  question  was  considered  so  important  by  Canonicus  that  he 
took  many  days  to  come  to  a  decision.  No  other  white  man  would 
have  dared  to  attempt  what  Williams  then  did,  nor  would  the  Nar- 
ragansett  chieftain  have  permitted  it.  He  preferred  that  the  preacher 
should  keep  away,  but  he  held  him  in  too  high  an  estimation  to  deny 
him  welcome ;  and  so  he  listened  to  all  that  the  good  man  had  to  say, 
even  though  it  was  said  many  times,  as  was  the  case  with  the  Pequods. 

During  those  days  and  nights  they  as  well  as  Williams  were  the 
guests  of  Canonicus.  The  preacher,  in  recalling  the  incident  after 
wards,  said  that  he  expected  to  be  roused  in  the  night  with  the  Pequod 
warriors  at  his  throat.  Finally  he  won  his  great  victory:  the  chief 
tain  told  the  messengers  that  he  had  decided  not  to  go  on  the  war 
path  against  the  whites.  The  chagrined  warriors  departed,  and,  after 
wards  bent  their  energies  in  persuading  the  Mohicans  to  join  them, 
but  they,  too,  refused.  Then  the  Pequods  determined  to  undertake 
the  horrid  work  alone. 

The  Indians  followed  the  usual  method  of  attacking  exposed  :abins, 
shooting  down  men  at  work  in  the  fields,  and  slaying  their  victims 
when  all  the  chances  were  against  the  latter.  Many  persons  were 
taken  prisoners  and  put  to  torture.  Two-score  of  the  colonists  were 
slain,  when  the  Pequods  became  so  rash  as  to  attack  Wethersfield, 
where  they  killed  seven  men,  a  woman,  and  a  child,  and  came 
within  an  ace  of  getting  possession  of  the  settlement.  One  thousand 
hostiles  were  on  the  war-path,  and  the  danger  of  the  Connecticut 
settlements  was  so  imminent  that  they  appealed  to  Plymouth  and 
Massachusetts  for  aid. 

The  response  was  prompt.  About  a  hundred  soldiers,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  John  Mason,  were  forthwith  sent  to  Connecti 
cut.  A  band  of  Mohicans,  under  the  famous  Uncas,  joined  the 
soldiers,  but  proved  of  little  value.  Captain  John  Underbill,  in 
charge  of  the  Connecticut  troops  (which  numbered  about  the  same 
as  those  sent  from  Massachusetts  and  Plymouth),  united  with  Mason, 
and  after  a  conference  it  was  decided  to  attack  the  Pequods  in  the 
rear,  by  passing  through  the  territory  of  the  Narragansetts. 

Three  pinnaces,  with  the  troops  on  board,  sailed  eastward  along  the 
coast,  and  entered  Narragansett  Bay,  May  2Oth,  as  night  was  closing 
in.  The  following  day,  being  the  Sabbath,  was  spent  in  religious 


PERIOD  II 
COLON  \ztf 

TION  AND 

SETTLE- 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


The 
Pequod 
War, 

1637 


1 84 


HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xi 


SMBNT 
1602 

'758 


PBMOD  n  devotions,  and  a  storm  arising,  it  delayed  for  several  days  the  land 
ing  of  the  force.  A  band  of  Narragansetts,  at  Mason's  request,  now 
joined  him ;  but  when  the  crisis  came,  they  proved  as  valueless  as  the 
Mohicans.  A  fortunate  mistake  of  the  Pequods  greatly  helped  the 
white  men.  The  scouts  of  the  enemy  had  been  watching  the  vessels, 
as  they  moved  along  the  coast.  After  the  soldiers  disembarked,  these 
vessels  sailed  back,  noting  which  the  Pequods  supposed  that  the  armed 
forces  were  on  board,  and  reported  to  their  chiefs  that  the  expedition 
had  been  abandoned. 

Captain  Mason  timed  his  advance  so  as  to  reach  the  Pequod 
stronghold  at  the  close  of  day,  on  the  25th.  The  post,  which  was 
a  strong  one,  stood  on  elevated  ground  on  the  banks  of  the  Mystic. 
It  was  guarded  by  palisades  inclosing  fully  an  acre  of  ground.  These 
palisades,  or  stakes,  were  high  and  massive,  with  pointed  tops,  and 
were  driven  deeply  into  the  earth,  so  close  together  that  no  one  could 
force  an  entrance  between  any  two  of  the  stakes.  Within  the  in- 
closure  were  seventy  wigwams,  containing  most  of  the  men,  women, 
and  children  of  the  Pequod  tribe,  under  the  command  of  their  dreaded 
chieftain  Sassacus. 

Keeping  his  soldiers  carefully  out  of  sight,  Captain  Mason  sent 
out  his  scouts  to  reconnoitre.  They  returned  with  the  information 
that  the  stronghold  had  two  entrances  opposite  each  other,  each  being 
guarded  by  only  a  few  bushes.  The  Pequods  had  no  suspicion  of 
danger,  and  it  was  decided  to  rush  through  these  openings  at  the 
same  instant.  This  method  of  fighting  was  new,  and  anything  but 
agreeable  to  the  Indian  allies  of  the  New  Englanders.  It  savored  too 
much  of  personal  danger  to  suit  them.  They  therefore  sneaked  off 
into  the  woods,  and  left  the  pale-faces  to  conduct  matters  them 
selves,  and  in  their  own  way. 

Despite  the  stealthy  approach  of  the  soldiers,  it  was  not  yet  day 
light  on  the  morning  of  the  26th  ere  a  dog  near  the  eastern  entrance 

eequods,  detected  the  shadowy  figures  moving  among  the  trees  and  began 
barking.  The  red-men,  who  were  half -asleep,  started  up,  and  shouted 
that  the  English  were  upon  them.  Captain  Mason,  seeing  that  not  a 
moment  was  to  be  lost,  dashed  through  the  entrance,  and  at  once 
engaged  in  a  hand-to-hand  encounter  until  his  soldiers  joined  him. 
Underbill,  on  the  other  flank,  heard  the  sounds,  and,  knowing  what 
they  meant,  led  the  attack  through  the  entrance  there  also. 

The  Pequods  were  resolute  fighters,  and,  although  caught  at  great 


Destruc 
tion  01 
the 


CHAP,  xi     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW   ENGLAND 


disadvantage,  made  such  a  desperate  resistance  that  the  assailants  PERIOD  11 
were  forced  back.  A  total  repulse  meant  the  massacre  of  all,  and 
fearful  that  that  was  about  to  take  place,  Mason  caught  up  a  burning 
ember,  fanned  it  into  a  blaze,  and  hurled  it  among  "the  wigwams. 
The  dry  bark  which  covered  them  instantly  broke  into  a  flame  which 
spread  rapidly.  Underbill,  from  his  side,  pursued  the  same  tactics, 
and  within  a  few  minutes  the  whole  inclosure  became  a  roaring  con- 


CoLONIZA- 
TION  AND 

SETTLE- 

MENT 
I6O2 

TO 
1758 


DESTRUCTION    OF  THE  PEQUODS 

flagration.  The  soldiers  ran  outside,  and  with  loaded  guns  awaited 
the  appearance  of  the  Pequods,  who  had  the  choice  of  following  them 
or  being  burnt  within  their  inclosure. 

The  savages  themselves  were  not  more  cruel  than  were  the  white 
men  to  the  Pequods  caught  in  this  fiery  trap.  No  warrior,  squaw,  or 
pappoose  was  allowed  to  live.  Nearly  a  thousand  were  slain,  and 
Captain  Mason  gave  thanks  for  the  privilege  of  destroying  them. 
Only  two  of  the  whites  were  killed,  though  a  number  were  wounded. 
Sassacus  was  not  with  his  doomed  warriors,  but  in  another  strong- 


186  HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xi 

PERIOD  ii    hold  on  the  Thames,  near  the  spot  where  the  vessels  were  to  take  the 
COLONIZA-    white  men  on  board   again.     While  marching  thither,  the  soldiers 

TION  AND 

SMENTE"     were  attacked  by  three  hundred  more  Pequods,  but  Mason  got  in  the 
1602       rear  of  his  enemies  and  reached  the  boats  without  loss. 

TO 

1758  The  war  against  this  tribe  was  pressed  without  mercy.    The  coun 

try  was  scoured  from  end  to  end,  and  a  resisting  Pequod  was  never 
spared.  Wigwams  and  cornfields  were  laid  waste,  and  the  pursuit 
kept  up  until  the  harried  fugitives  took  refuge  in  a  swamp  near  Fair- 
field.  When  the  English  appeared,  the  remaining  Pequods  surren 
dered,  excepting  Sassacus  and  several  of  his  friends,  who  escaped  to 
nation"  the  Mohawks.  Of  those  who  submitted,  some  were  sent  to  the 
Bermudas,  others  were  enslaved  in  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts, 
while  the  remainder  were  absorbed  by  neighboring  tribes.  Thus 
the  Pequod  tribe,  in  punishment  for  its  attack  upon  the  settlements, 
was  utterly  destroyed. *  For  a  number  of  years,  New  England  wa& 
safe  against  all  disturbance  from  the  Indians. 

*  It  is  well  that  the  young  reader,  who  may  take  pride  in  the  prowess  of  the  early  set 
tlers  of  his  country  in  ridding  it  of  hostile  Indians,  as  related  in  such  narratives  as  that 
which  recounts  the  grim  incidents  of  the  Pequod  war,  should  remember  that  much  of 
the  Indian  blood  spilled  on  this  continent  was  due  to  the  coming  to  it  of  the  white  man, 
who  was  the  intruder  and  the  invader  of  the  homes  and  hunting-grounds  of  the  native 
races  of  the  New  World.  We  came  to  the  Indian,  not  the  Indian  to  us.  We  were  the 
aggressors.  We  invaded  his  country,  and  we  made  of  it  an  aceldania  of  blood.  Justice, 
therefore,  as  well  as  humanity,  calls  for  the  exercise  of  pity  and  considerate  feeling  in 
reading  the  account,  given  in  these  pages,  of  the  extermination  of  an  entire  tribe, 
such  as  the  Pequods.  In  the  early  settlement  of  Connecticut,  as  elsewhere,  the  white 
man  did  not  always  extend  the  olive-branch  to  the  Indian;  and  hostilities  were  often 
the  result  of  quarrels  among  rival  white  settlers.  It  was  so  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Pequod 
war,  which  grew  out  of  differences  between  the  Dutch  and  English  settlers  in  the  region, 
and  quickly  drew  into  the  struggle,  not  only  the  colonists  of  Connecticut,  but  the  Narragan- 
setts  and  Mohegans  (Mohicans),  who  were  only  too  eager  to  take  part  in  rooting  out  their 
dread  tribal  foes,  the  Pequods.  As  it  has  been  the  fate  of  some  portions  of  the  race  to 
lapse  into  barbarism,  we  should  like  to  think  that  out  of  barbarism  they  will  yet-emerge. 
In  the  philanthropies  of  a  coming  day,  we  trust  that  forces  will  continually,  and  more 
effectively,  be  employed  to  restore  the  Indian  to  civilization,  and  to  eradicate  from  his 
nature  those  dispositions  and  tendencies  that  drag  him  backward  in  the  path  of  progress, 
or,  while  imitating  bad  examples  set  before  him,  that  civilize  him  out  of  existence. 


BEARER   OF  DISPATCHES   ATTACKED   BY  INDIANS. 


CHAPTER    XII 
THE   COLONIAL   HISTORY  OF  NEW  ENGLAND 

(Continued) 

[Authorities  :  In  addition  to  the  works  cited  at  the  head  of  the  previous  chapter,  rich 
illustrative  material  bearing  on  the  colonization  of  New  England  will  be  found  in 
Winsor's  "  Memorial  History  of  Boston,"  in  Adams's  "  Emancipation  of  Massachusetts," 
and  in  two  issues  of  the  Johns  Hopkins  University  J'ndies — Channing's  "  Town  and 
County  Government  in  the  English  Colonies  of  North  Ameiica,"  and  Andrews's  "  River 
Towns  of  Connecticut."  Johnsor  s  "Connecticut,"  in  the  American  Commonwealth 
Series,  should  also  be  consulted,  and  Arnold's  "  History  of  Rhode  Island."  Hallowell's 
"  Quaker  Invasion  of  Massachusetts"  throws  light  on  the  tenets  and  religious  persecu 
tion  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  while  Upham's  "Salem  Witchcraft"  illuminates  the 
unhappy  subject  of  fanatical  frenzy  and  religious  delusion."  For  the  Ann  Hutchinson 
incident,  see  Adams's  "Three  Episodes  in  Massachusetts  History."] 

STRANGE  agitation  visited  Massachusetts  in  1634. 
Ann  Hutchinson,  beautiful  of  person  and  brilliant 
of  intellect,  and  the  sister-in-law  of  a  popular 
preacher  in  Boston,  came  to  that  town,  and  drew 
attention  to  herself  by  boldly  declaring  her  views, 
which  were  similar  to  those  held  by  Roger  Williams. 
She  had  a  winning  gift  of  speech,  and  a  wit  which 
delighted  every  one.  In  addition  to  these  gifts,  she  possessed  a  fair 
knowledge  of  medicine,  was  kind-hearted  and  attentive  to  the  sick, 
so  that  it  was  little  wonder  that  she  became  popular. 

This  remarkable  woman  advocated  what  was  then  known  as  Anti- 
nomianism,  a  doctrine  which  insists  that  a  person  who  wishes  to  be 
saved  in  the  world  to  come  must  depend  upon  faith  or  belief  alone, 
without  regard  to  good  works.  She  affirmed  that  a  pure  life  was  no 
evidence  that  one  was  living  acceptably  before  God,  and  that  the  be 
liever  is  saved,  if  he  be  saved  at  all,  by  Heaven's  grace,  no  matter 
what  his  actions  may  be. 


Ann 

Hutch!* 

son 


188 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xn 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Banish 
ment  of 
Ann 

Hutchin- 
*on,  1637 


Rhode 
Island 
Settle 
ment, 
1638 


Mrs.  Hutchinson  had  been  a  warm  friend  of  the  famous  preacher, 
John  Cotton,  before  they  left  London ;  and  now,  in  puritanical  Bos 
ton,  he  showed  a  kind  feeling  towards  the  religious  enthusiast.  So 
did  young  Henry  Vane,  the  governor  of  the  commonwealth,  and 
several  clergymen ;  though  Rev.  John  Wheelwright,  her  brother-in- 
law,  was  the  only  one  who  dared  to  advocate  her  doctrines  openly. 
For  this  he  was  censured  by  the  civil  authorities,  and,  protesting,  he 
threatened  to  appeal  to  the  king.  He  and  his  sister-in-law  were 
arraigned  on  the  charge  of  heresy  and,  with  several  of  their  friends, 
ordered  to  quit  the  neighborhood  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  Their  de 
parture  was  not  hastened,  and,  under  the  leadership  of  William  Cod- 
dington  and  John  Clarke,  they  left  Boston  with  the  intention  of  set 
tling  on  Delaware  Bay.  They  called  on  Roger  Williams  during  the 
journey,  and  were  treated  with  so  winning  a  hospitality  that  they  ac 
cepted  his  invitation  to  settle  in  the  land  of  the  Narragansetts,  from 
whom  they  purchased  the  island  of  Aquidneck,  now  Rhode  Island, 
and  in  March,  1638,  began  the  settlement  of  Portsmouth,  in  its 
northern  part. 

William  Coddington,  who  had  been  a  crown  magistrate  at  Salem, 
was  chosen  governor  of  the  Rhode  Island  colony.  Thus,  in  the  pres 
ent  little  State  of  Rhode  Island,  two  flourishing  settlements  were 
planted.  Each  had  its  own  government,  but  they  were  friendly  to 
one  another.  Absolute  liberty  of  conscience  prevailed,  and  the  per 
secuted  flocked  thither  from  the  other  colonies.  Massachusetts 
showed  her  jealousy  more  than  once,  and  profitable  trade  between  the 
provinces  was  in  consequence  greatly  restricted. 

When  a  confederacy  of  the  New  England  colonies  was  formed,  the 
Rhode  Island  settlements  were  excluded.  Meanwhile,  Ann  Hutch 
inson,  fearing  further  persecution  by  the  Plymouth  authorities,  left 
.^er  Rhode  Island  home  in  1642,  and  settled  near  New  Amsterdam, 
where  she  was  murdered  by  Indians.  She  was  a  widow  at  the  time 
of  her  death,  and  her  little  daughter,  eight  years  old,  was  carried 
away  captive.  Some  years  later,  the  child  was  recovered,  through  the 
humane  efforts  of  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts. 

The  Rhode  Island  colonies,  having  been  shut  out  from  the  New 
England  confederacy,  determined  to  unite  under  one  government. 
Roger  Williams  was  sent  to  England,  in  the  summer  of  1643,  to  ob 
tain  a  new  charter.  He  received  a  warm  welcome,  and  the  charter 
he  prayed  for  was  issued  in  March,  1644.  It  united  the  towns  of 


CHAP,  xii     COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF   NEW   ENGLAND 


1 89 


Providence,  Portsmouth,  and  Newport,  under  the  title  of  "  The  Incor-    PERIOD  n 
poration  of  Providence  Plantations  in  the  Narragansett  Bay  in  New 
England."     Williams  came  back  in  the  summer  of  that  year,  the 
whole  town  of  Providence  turning  out  to  greet  him.     No  loving  family 
ever  showed  more  joy  over  the  return  of  the  long  absent  father  than 
did  the  settlers,  when  they  saw  again  the  face  of  him  to  whom,  under 
heaven,  they  felt  that  all  their  prosperity  and  happiness  were  due. 
Over  the  border,  in  the  southern  part  of  Connecticut,  the  New 


T10N  AND 

SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


THE  SETTLEMENT  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 

Haven  settlement  was  begun  about  the  same  time  as  Rhode  Island. 
Rev.  John  Davenport,  an  eloqu  >nt  Puritan  preacher  of  London,  came 
to  America  to  escape  persecution.  Two  wealthy  members  of  his 
congregation,  Theophilus  Eaton  and  Edward,  Hopkins,  were  sharers 
with  him  in  his  voluntary  exile.  On  the  site  of  the  present  city  of 
New  Haven,  several  cabins  were  erected  and  a  settlement  begun,  in 
the  autumn  of  1637.  The  Indians  were  paid  for  the  land.  The  col 
ony,  in  proportion  to  its  numbers,  was  the  richest  in  America.  In 


New 


1637 


190  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xn 

PERIOD  ii  1638,  the  settlement  was  named  New  Haven.  The  high  character  of 
these  pioneers,  their  wisdom  and  liberality,  resulted  ere  long  in  a  rapid 
increase  and  much  prosperity.  Within  a  few  years,  Greenwich, 
Stamford,  and  Guilford  sprang  into  existence,  on  the  shores  of  Long 
*_758  Island  Sound.  The  two  colonies  of  Hartford  and  New  Haven,  in 
cluding  all  the  settlements  in  Connecticut,  were  united  in  1665  under 

Union  of   One  government. 

necticut  Having  glanced  at  the  first  settlements  in  Massachusetts,  Con 
necticut,  and  Rhode  Island,  we  must  learn  what  was  done  in  the  way 
of  colonization  to  the  northward.  As  early  as  1623,  the  Plymouth 
Company  vested  in  two  of  its  leading  members,  Sir  Ferdinando 
Gorges  and  Captain  John  Mason,  all  the  region  lying  between  the 
rivers  Merrimac  and  Kennebec,  the  northern  boundary  being  the  St. 
Lawrence,  and  the  western  the  Great  Lakes.  They  named  the  grant 
Laconia,  but  some  years  afterwards  they  divided  the  territory  be- 
tween  tnem-  Mason  took  the  western  part  and  called  it  New  H  amp- 
Maine  shire,  after  the  county  of  Hampshire,  in  England  ;  while  Gorges 
Hamp-  named  his  portion  Maine,  that  being  the  fashion  of  referring  to  a 

shire,      stretch  of  coast  or  mainland. 
1630 

A  number  of  trading-posts  were  established  along  the  coast,  and 

some  of  these  in  time  grew  into  towns.  Among  them  were  Ports 
mouth,  Kittery,  Dover,  Exeter,  and  York.  As  the  years  passed,  the 
proprietary  government  of  Gorges  and  Mason  became  obnoxious  to 
the  majority,  who  leaned  towards  the  puritanism  of  Massachusetts 
At  the  instance  of  the  dissatisfied  ones  among  them  New  Hamp. 
shire,  in  1641,  came  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Massachussets,  and  so 
remained  for  nearly  half  a  century.  Litigation  and  wrangling  fol 
lowed  between  the  heirs  of  Mason  and  the  tenants  who  refused  to 
pay  rent.  Finally,  in  1679,  Charles  II.  made  New  Hampshire  a 
royal  province  ;  but  the  strife  continued,  and  did  not  cease  until 
well  into  the  eighteenth  century. 

William  Gorges,  nephew  of  the  baronet,  came  to  Maine,  and  es 
tablished  a  regular  government  at  Sac  o,  in  March,  1636.  The  settle 
ments  were  so  sparse  and  weak  that,  in  1652-1653,  the  province  passed 
tinder  the  jurisdiction  of  Massachusetts,  and  so  remained  until  1820. 

The  New  England  colonists  gave  conscientious  attention  to  relig 
ion  and  the  education  of  their  youth.  Wherever  a  settlement  was 
made,  a  church  was  erected,  and  the  training  of  the  young  carefully 
looked  after.  The  influence  of  the  preacher,  indeed,  was  felt  every* 


Bradley  ^  foates^Engr'a,  A.J", 
SETTLEMENTS    IN     THE    NEW     ENGLAND    COLONIES 


t92  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xn 

PERIOD  II    where.     There  were  no  Sunday-schools  in  America  until  the  nine- 
COLONIZA-    teenth  century  :  but  the  parents  were  strict  with  their  children,  and 

TION  AND  <f  * 

SM£*T~     tne  Preacher  was  strict  with  both. 

1602  Public  schools  were  at  an  early  period  organized  in  the  South  and 

1758       North.     We  have  spoken  of  the  founding  of  the  William  and  Mary 
College  in  Virginia,  but  early  as  was  its  foundation,  Massachusetts  was 
more  than  half  a  century  ahead  of  that  southern  colony.     In  the  au 
tumn  of  1636,  the  General  Court  of  Boston  voted  to  appropriate  ^400 
towards  the  founding  of  a  place  of  superior  education.     This  was  a 
Found-    large  sum  for  those  days,  and   particularly  so,  since  Massachusetts 
Harvard  was  sorely  disturbed  by  the  Pequod  war  and  the  disputations  which 
College,    Ann  Hutchinson  caused  ;  hence  the  province  deserves  much  credit 
for  the  step  it  then  took.     The  Rev.  John  Harvard  left  ^800  for 
the  erection  of  the  necessary  building  at   Cambridge  —  known  then 
as  Newton  —  three  miles  from  Boston.     The  court,  in  1639,  ordered 
the  college  to  be  named  in  honor  of  the  deceased  clergyman.     The 
institution  was  opened  in  1638  and  incorporated  in  1650.     A  print  - 
Jhet      ing  press  attached  to  it  was  the  first,  and  for  a  long  time  the  only 
one,  in  the  country.     The  Rev.  Mr.  Harvard  also  left  his  fine  library 
to  tne  college;  but,  in  1764,  a  fire  destroyed  every  book  in  it  with, 
we  believe,  but  a  single  exception. 

It  has  been  said  that  those  in  authority  looked  closely  after  the 
morals  of  the  community.  England  was  so  sorely  plagued  by  her 
domestic  troubles  that  for  a  long  time  she  paid  little  attention  to  her 
American  colonies.  However,  at  the  close  of  1641,  a  "  Body  of  Lib- 
erties"  was  passed,  by  which  the  legal  rights  of  the  citizen  were  clearly 


Liber-     set  forth.     A  hundred  fundamental  laws  were   drafted  which  were 
ties.0 
1641       read  and  considered  within  the  following  three  years  in  every  court 

in  the  commonwealth.  Such  as  were  not  repealed  or  changed  were 
put  in  force.  Most  of  these  laws  were  written  by  Nathaniel  Ward, 
a  lawyer,  who  had  been  a  Puritan  clergyman.  As  years  passed,  they 
were  revised  and  nearly  all  underwent  change.  Americans  of  to-day 
would  la\igh  at  any  body  of  law-makers  who  would  attempt  now  to 
make  such  rules  for  their  government.  For  instance,  every  well 
person  was  compelled  to  attend  church  under  a  heavy  penalty  ; 
slavery  was  sanctioned;  while  among  the  ten  offences  punishable 
with  death  were  witchcraft,  idolatry,  blasphemy,  and  treason,  either 
against  the  commonwealth  or  the  king.  Legislation  is,  of  course, 
necessary  for  our  protection  ;  but  hardly  any  human  law  can  be  de- 


CHAP,  xii     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW   ENGLAND 


193 


vised  for  making  a  person  good ;  and,  though  much  has  been  said 
about  the  rigid  morality  of  the  Puritans,  it  must  not  be  supposed 
that  they  were  wholly  free  from  vice. 

A  general  court  was  held  in  Boston,  in  1643,  at  which  were 
present  two  commissioners  each  from  Plymouth,  Connecticut,  and 
New  Haven.  Massachusetts,  by  virtue  of  her  importance,  was  repre 
sented  by  the  governor,  two  magistrates,  and  three  deputies.  This 
court  took  one  of  the  most  important  steps  in  our  early  history  by 
forming  a  federation  of  the  colonies,  under  the  title  of  the  United 
Colonies  of  New  England,  the  object  being  mutual  support  in  all 
matters  of  common  weal.  This  step,  as  has  been  said,  was  an  im 
portant  one,  for  thousands  of  the  Indians  were  hostile ;  the  French 
were  encroaching  from  the  east,  and  the  Dutch  from  the  west.  The 
population  of  New  England  had  grown  to  twenty-five  thousand,  dis 
tributed  among  fifty  towns  and  villages,  and  was  steadily  increasing. 
These  people's  interests  were  interwoven  in  commerce,  in  mafters  of 
state,  and  in  religion.  The  written  agreement  in  the  twelve  articles 
of  confederation  was  signed  on  the  2Oth  of  August.  It  has  been 
shown  that  the  application  of  the  colony  of  Rhode  Island  was  denied, 
because  in  matters  of  conscience  she  would  not  yield  to  Massachusetts. 

Each  settlement  was  undisturbed  in  its  local  jurisdiction,  and  the 
federal  government  was  vested  in  eight  commissioners,  two  from  each 
colony,  appointed  by  their  respective  general  courts.  These  com 
missioners  were  to  meet  once  a  year,  or  more  frequently  should  oc 
casion  arise,  the  place  of  meetin-g  changing  regularly  from  Boston  to 
Hartford,  to  New  Haven  and  Plymouth,  until  a  central  capital  should 
be  fixed  upon.  This  cemfederation  lasted  until  1684,  during  which 
period  it  was  confined  to  the  four  colonies  named,  and  during  which 
period,  also,  the  government  in  the  mother  country  was  changed  three 
times.  Virginia,  meanwhile,  strongly  sympathized  with  the  mon 
archy  in  England,  Governor  Berkeley  going  so  far  as  to  ask  for  his 
commission  from  the  exiled  king,  and  refusing  to  acknowledge  Crom 
well  as  the  chief  ruler.  The  opposite  sentiment  prevailed  in  New 
England,  which  was  consequently  regarded  with  friendly  interest  by 
the  Protector. 

A  profitable  and  growing  commerce  existed  between  Massachusetts 
and  the  West  India  Islands.  One  of  the  results  of  this  trade  was  the 
entrance  of  considerable  uncoined  gold  and  silver — known  as  "  bul 
lion" — into  the  colony.  The  authorities,  in  1651,  caused  the  estab- 
13 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


The 

United 

Colonies 

of  New 

England 

1643- 

1684 


The 
First 

Coinage 
in  our 

Country, 
1652 


J94 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP. 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
T6O2 

TO 
1758 


The 

New 

England 

Puritan 


The 

Blue 

L»ws 


A  Kiss 
and  its 
Conse 
quences 


lishment  of  a  mint  for  the  coinage  of  these  metals,  and  in  the  follow 
ing  year  a  number  of  silver  coins  were  struck,  of  the  denomination  of 
threepence,  sixpence,  and  twelvepence,  or  a  shilling.  This  was  the 
first  coinage  in  our  country. 

In  the  preceding  pages  some  reference  has  been  made  to  the  laws 
and  manner  of  government  in  New  England.  Than  the  Puritans,  it 
is  not  supposed  that  a  stricter  people  ever  lived.  It  is  said  that  a 
man  was  once  tried  and  censured  by  the  authorities,  because,  when 
he  returned  from  church  and  found  his  fire  had  died  out,  he  split  a 
stick  of  wood  with  which  to  rekindle  it.  It  was  considered  wicked 
for  a  husband  to  kiss  his  wife  on  Sunday.  Cards  and  dice  were  not 
permitted  under  any  circumstances,  and  a  woman  was  fined  if  she 
cut  her  hair  after  the  fashion  of  a  man.  No  Jesuit  or  Roman  Catho 
lic  priest  was  allowed  in  the  colony.  In  going  to  and  coming  from 
church  one  must  not  run  nor  lag,  but  walk  "  reverently."  If  a  per 
son's  dress  was  thought  too  expensive  for  his  or  her  income,  the  wearer 
of  it  was  warned  by  the  grand  jurors,  and,  if  persisted  in,  was  fined. 

It  is  stated  that  as  late  almost  as  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  cen 
tury,  the  commander  of  a  British  man-of-war  was  publicly  flogged 
(although  very  mildly  and  amid  much  merriment)  for  kissing  his  wife 
when  he  met  her  in  the  street  after  his  return  from  a  long  cruise.  It 
is  said  further  that,  when  about  to  sail,  the  -captain  invited  those  re 
sponsible  for  his  flogging  to  a  dinner  aboard  ship,  as  an  evidence  that 
he  harbored  no  resentment.  The  invitation  was  accepted,  and  at  its 
conclusion  the  boatswain  and  mate,  by  order  of  the  captain,  lashed  the 
magistrates  soundly  with  a  knotted  cat-o' -nine-tails,  and  drove  them 
pell-mell  over  the  ship's  skje  into  the  boat  waiting  to  take  them  ashore. 

The  wise  and  kind-hearted  Governor  Winthrop  had  little  patience 
with  these  absurd  laws,  and  complacently  managed  to  evade  their  en 
forcement  by  many  ingenious  methods.  The  pleasing  anecdote  is 
told  that  when  it  was  reported  to  him  that  a  poor  man  was  in  the 
habit  of  stealing  from  his  woodpile,  the  governor  remarked  with 
much  sternness  that  he  would  stop  that  business  very  quickly.  He 
summoned  the  man  before  him  and  said :  "  I  understand  you  are  poor, 
have  a  large  family,  and  no  wood ;  I've  plenty ;  come  whenever  you 
choose  and  help  yourself;  you're  welcome !"  Then,  addressing  the 
accusers,  the  governor  added :  "Now  find  him  guilty  of  pilfering,  it' 
you  can." 

It   must   be  borne  in  mind  that  from  the  time  when  the  Puritans 


FROM    THE   ORIGINAL    DRAWING    BY    H.   A.  OGOElv 

!WITH    THE    COMPLIMENTS    OF    THE    CAPTAIN" 


196 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xn 


COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


The 
Quakers 


PERIOD  ii  fled  to  America  to  escape  persecution,  our  country  has  become  a 
refuge  for  all  manner  of  oppressed  people.  Among  them  were  at 
times  many  pestiferous  "  cranks,"  disturbers,  and  criminals.  Some 
of  these  wrought  so  hard  to  influence  those  around  them,  that  the 
Puritans,  in  self-defence,  passed  the  sternest  of  repressive  measures, 
and  inflexibly  enforced  them. 

When  we  hear  of  the  persecution  of  the  Friends  or  Quakers,  we 
are  apt  to  give  them  our  fullest  sympathy ;  for  to-day  they  are  among 
the  most  peaceable,  law-abiding,  and  God-fearing  people  that  can  be 
found  anywhere.  But  some  of  them  at  that  early  time  were  veritable 
thorns  in  the  side  of  the  community.  Their  zeal  carried  them  to 
intolerable  lengths,  several  acting  as  if  they  were  really  insane. 
George  Fox  was  the  founder  of  the  sect.  It  is  related  of  him  that 
he  once  said  of  one  of  his  prosecuting  magistrates  that  he  "  should 
tremble  at  the  word  of  the  Lord."  The  justice,  in  derision,  called 
Fox  and  his  friends  "  Quakers,"  and  the  name  has  clung  to  them  ever 
since.  Their  persecution  in  England  was  so  violent  that,  from  1651 
to  1657,  two  thousand,  of  whom  a  number  died,  were  imprisoned. 
Massachusetts  knew  of  them  and  dreaded  their  coming. 

The  Quakers  carried  liberty  of  speech  to  extravagant  excess.  They 
openly  reviled  preachers  and  magistrates ;  declared  it  a  sin  to  pay 
ministers ;  that  no  man,  however  exalted  his  station,  should  be  ad 
dressed  otherwise  than  as  "  thee"  or  "  thou ;"  that  it  was  wicked  to 
say,  "good-morning,"  or  "good-evening,"  since  the  salutation  im 
plied  that  there  were  some  mornings  and  evenings  that  were  not 
good ;  that  they  held  the  exclusive  possession  of  the  gifts  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  that  all  other  sects  were  doomed  to  everlasting 
punishment.  A  number  of  Quaker  women  appeared  on  the  streets  in 
Boston  without  clothing,  claiming  that  they  did  so  as  a  testimony. 

The  first  Quakers  to  reach  this  country  were  Mary  Fisher  and 
Anne  Austin,  who  arrived  at  Boston  from  the  Barbadoes,  in  July, 
1656.  They  were  promptly  expelled;  but  a  few  weeks  afterwards 
another  ship  brought  five  male  and  four  female  Quakers.  These  were 
hardly  given  time  to  set  foot  on  land,  when,  like  their  predecessors, 
they  were  shipped  back  to  England. 

Well  aware  that  these  rigid  measures  would  only  fire  the  zeal  of  the 
the  Qua-  persecuted  people,  the  United  Colonies  passed  severe  laws  against 
them.  Massachusetts  imposed  a  penalty  of  one  hundred  pounds  on 
any  shipmaster  who  brought  a  Quaker  into  the  province,  and  exacted 


Persecu 
tions  of 


CHAP,  xii     COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF    NEW   ENGLAND 


197 


security  for  his  return  to  the  port  whence  he  came.  It  was  further  PERIOD  ii 
enacted,  that  all  Quakers  should  be  imprisoned  and  whipped,  that 
the  circulation  or  custody  of  a  Quaker  book  should  be  punishable  by 
a  fine  of  five  pounds,  and  that  severe  penalties  would  be  imposed  upon 
any  one  who  attempted  to  befriend  the  sect  or  espouse  their  cause. 
None  of  these  measures,  however,  sufficed  to  keep  the  Quakers 
away,  and  still  more  severe  ones  were  resorted  to.  Laws  were 
passed  authorizing  the  cropping  of  ears,  the  boring  of  tongues  with 


I6°2 
1758 


A   GRACIOUS    AC1 

hot  irons,  and  even  adding  the  extreme  penalty  of  hanging.  Mary 
Clarke,  who  came  from  London,  was  whipped  in  August,  1657. 
Christopher  Holden  and  John  Copeland,  coming  back  to  Salem  after 
being  banished  to  England,  were  whipped  and  imprisoned,  and  the 
husband  and  wife  who  sheltered  them  were  both  put  in  jail.  Chris 
topher  Holden,  John  Copeland,  and  John  Rouse,  returned  a  second 
time  after  expulsion,  whereupon  the  right  ear  of  each  was  cut  off  by 
the  knife  of  the  hangman.  This  was  the  only  time  the  cruel  sen- 


I98 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xil 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


Decree 
against 

the 
Quakers 


tence  was  ever  enforced  in  New  England,  and  no  Quaker  ever  had 
his  tongue  bored  through  with  a  hot  iron. 

The  anger  against  the  disturbers  deepened,  and,  to  stamp  out  the 
sect,  Massachusetts  now  decreed  that  any  Quaker  who  returned  to  the 
province  after  being  twice  expelled  should  suffer  death.  William 
Robinson  and  Marmaduke  Stevenson  arrived  in  Boston  in  the  sum 
mer  of  1659,  where  they  were  joined  by  Nicholas  Davis  and  Mary 
Dyer.  They  were  immediately  arrested  and  ordered  to  leave. 
Davis  and  Mary  Dyer  obeyed,  but  the  other  two  returned  and  were 
soon  followed  by  the  woman.  They  were  rearrested,  brought  before 
the  General  'Court,  and  having  acknowledged  that  they  had  returned 
from  banishment,  were  sentenced  to  death. 

The  harshness  of  this  sentence  was  condemned  by  many,  and  a 
strong  guard  of  soldiers  was  deemed  necessary  at  the  execution, 
which  was  fixed  for  the  2/th  of  October,  1659,  on  Boston  Common. 
The  two  men  suffered  the  extreme  penalty,  but  Mary  Dyer  was 
given  in  charge  of  her  son,  who  had  come  from  Rhode  Island  to 
plead  for  her  life.  She  returned,  however,  in  the  following  spring, 
and,  refusing  to  promise  to  stay  out  of  the  colony,  was  also  hanged  on 
Boston  Common.  In  1661,  William  Leddra,  having  returned  after 
banishment,  was  arrested,  tried,  convicted,  and  executed  like  the 
others.  These  four  persons  were,  it  is  believed,  the  only  Quakers 
who  suffered  the  death  penalty/1' 

Plymouth,  New  Haven,  and  Connecticut  refused  to  go  to  such 
lengths  as  Massachusetts  in  their  persecution  of  the  Friends.  Roger 
Williams  said  that  the  doctrines  of  the  sect  were  bad,  but  their  perse- 


*  It  is  difficult  nowadays  to  comprehend  the  reason  for  the  persecution  of  the 
Quakers,  or  to  account  even  for  the  hostility  towards  them,  since  they  were  not  only  a 
quiet  inoffensive  people,  much  as  they  still  are  to-day,  but  were  for  the  most  part  unag- 
gressive  in  their  religious  convictions,  and  uniformly  exemplary  in  their  lives.  Some,  it 
is  true,  as  has  been  shown  in  the  narrative,  were  actuated  by  undue  zeal,  and  were  apt 
to  be  impatient  at  the  exercise  of  restraining  and  chastening  authority,  as  well  as  stub 
born  in  resisting  expatriation  and  exclusion  from  colonization  with  their  kin.  The  time 
was,  however,  intolerant,  and  religious  persecution  rampant.  With  the  death,  in  1690, 
of  George  Fox,  their  founder,  the  zeal  of  the  Society  of  Friends  and  the  propagandism 
of  the  sect  waned,  and  Quakerism  has  since  enjoyed  a  more  reposeful  and  passive  career. 
The  earnestness  of  its  religious  life,  and  the  humanity  and  gentleness  of  its  adherents, 
coupled  with  a  hatred  of  war  and  human  slavery,  merit  for  the  sect  the  respect  and  good-will 
of  their  fellow-men.  It  is  a  mistaken  notion  that  Quakers  reject  Christian  revelation 
and  the  authority  of  the  Scriptures;  this  they  do  not,  but  hold  that  the  latter  are  to  be 
read  and  their  precepts  followed  in  the  light  that  comes  through  the  promptings  and  guid 
ing  of  the  Spirit.  This  is  the  distinctive  doctrine  of  the  Friends. 


CHAP,  xii     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW   ENGLAND 


199 


cution  was  worse,  and  he  and  his  people,  therefore,  did  not  disturb    PERIOD  ll 
them.     Rhode  Island  was  aways  a  "  city  of  refuge"  to  those  who  were 
persecuted  for  conscience'  sake. 

The  cruelty  shown  to  the  Quakers  brought  about  a  sentiment  in 


COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


JOHN    ELIO1 


their  favor,  especially  as  the  members  of  the  sect  became  more  orderly 
and  careful  to  observe  the  law.  The  wicked  provisions  against  them 
were  repealed  in  1661,  and  a  more  tolerant  spirit  prevailed.  Good 
men  saw  that  it  was  in  better  accord  with  the  sweetness  of  God's  lovig 


200 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xn 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


Eliot, 

the 
Apostle 

of  the 
Indians 


Charles  I 
Behead 
ed,  1649 


that  those  who  professed  His  name  should  be  friends  rather  than  en 
emies,  and  that  their  duty  was  to  labor  for  the  conversion  of  the 
Indians,  instead  of  seeking  to  persecute  or  destroy  each  other. 

One  of  the  most  godly  and  self-sacrificing  of  men  was  John  Eliot, 
whose  labors  among  the  red  men  won  for  him  the  name  of  "  the 
apostle  of  the  Indians."  He  was  pastor  in  1632,  of  the  first  church 
in  Roxbury.  He  acquired  the  language  of  the  Indians,  and  his 
powerful  appeals  to  the  chiefs  and  warriors  brought  many  into  the 
fold  of  the  Master.  He  formed  a  band  which  was  known  as  the 
"  Praying  Indians,"  some  of  whom  became  magistrates  and  constables 
in  their  own  towns.  Eliot  translated  the  Bible  into  the  Indian  lan 
guage,  and  copies  of  the  remarkable  volume  are  still  preserved.  The 
good  which  this  extraordinary  man  did  can  never  be  known  until  that 
day  when  we  must  all  render  an  account  of  the  deeds  done  in  this 
life. 

King  Charles  I.  of  England  was  beheaded  in  January,  1649,  and, 
eleven  years  later,  when  the  Commonwealth  had  given  place  to  the 
Restoration,  his  exiled  son  returned  to  London  and  was  crowned 
Charles  II.  The  new  king  hunted  down  with  remorseless  fury  those 
that  had  taken  part  in  the  execution  of  his  father.  Some  were 
hanged,  while  others  were  imprisoned  for  life,  or  escaped  punishment 
by  flight. 

Among  the  latter  were  Edward  Whalley  and  William  Goffe,  who 
reached  America  with  the  first  news  of  the  restoration  of  the  mon 
archy.  Goffe  was  the  son-in-law  of  Whalley.  Both  had  been  gen 
erals  under  Cromwell,  and  had  served  on  the  commission  which 
ordered  the  execution  of  King  Charles.  The  new  ruler  was  specially 
anxious  to  secure  these  offenders,  and  officers  were  sent  to  New 
England  to  arrest  them.  But  they  had  many  friends,  who  lent  their 
aid  in  protecting  the  regicides.  In  their  concealment  they  were 
removed  from  place  to  place,  and  when  the  hunt  became  dangerously 
close,  they  lived  for  a  long  time  in  a  cave  near  New  Haven.  The 
search  growing  more  lax,  they  took  up  their  abode  in  Hadley,  where 
Whalley  died.  Goffe  survived  many  years,  and  was  the  hero  of  a 
strange  incident,  which  will  be  found  set  forth  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER    XIII 
THE  COLONIAL  HISTORY  OF  NEW  ENGLAND 

(Continued) 

[Authorities  :  For  a  more  extended  narrative  of  the  chief  incidents  of  this  chapter,  the 
general  histories  of  New  England,  previously  cited,  will  suffice.  The  chapter  deals 
almost  exclusively  with  what  is  known  as  King  Philip's  War.  Philip,  or  Pometacom,  was 
a  younger  son  of  Massasoit,  chief  sachem  of  the  Pokanoket  Indians  of  Massachusetts, 
with  whom  the  Plymouth  colonists  had  formed  a  treaty  of  alliance,  which  had  been  re 
ligiously  kept  by  Massasoit,  though  in  1675  it  was  set  at  nought  by  his  warlike  son, 
whom  the  English  called  King  Philip.  With  the  exception  of  the  trouble  with  the 
Pequods,  the  united  colonies  of  New  England  had  been  little  molested  during  Massasoit's 
life-time.  A  change,  however,  came  with  the  succession  of  Philip,  whose  intrigues  with 
the  Narragansetts  and  Nipmucks  led  to  the  destruction  of  thirteen  towns  founded  by  the 
New  Englanders,  and  the  loss,  in  killed  and  taken  captive,  of  nearly  six  hundred  colo 
nists.  This  loss  of  life  and  destruction  of  property  brought  its  unhappy  reckoning,  in  the 
final  hunting  down  of  Philip  and  the  annihilation  of  the  Indians  under  him,  after  a  three 
years'  reign  of  terror.  Besides  the  great  loss  of  life  on  both  sides,  the  cost  of  Philip's 
war  to  the  colonies  was  heavy  and  burdensome.  ] 

|HE  ten  years  between  1670  and  1680  form  a  memor 
able  period  in  the  history  of  the  three  leading  col 
onies  of  America.  They  saw  New  Amsterdam 
and  the  province  of  New  Netherland  wrested  from 
the  Dutch  by  the  English,  recaptured  by  the  Dutch, 
and  finally  transferred  by  treaty  to  England,  thus  to 
remain  until  the  Revolution.  During  the  same 
period,  civil  war  broke  out  and  raged  in  Virginia.  Nathaniel  Bacon 
fought  the  tyrannous  Governor  Berkeley  hard,  but  when  everything 
promised  success  for  him,  the  young  planter  died.  And  now  impor 
tant  events  were  impending  over  the  United  Colonies  of  New  England. 
Away  back  in  the  terrible  days  of  the  first  settlement  of  New  Ply 
mouth,  the  starving  colonists,  it  will  be  remembered,  received  a  visit 
from  Massasoit,  head  chief  of  the  Wampanoags,  who  was  treated  so 


202  HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xm 

PERIOD  ii  humanely  that  he  remained  their  friend  through  life.  He  died  in 
1661,  at  the  age  of  fourscore,  leaving  two  sons,  Wamsutta  and  Pome- 
tacom,  known  to  the  English  as  Alexander  and  Philip. 

The  settlers  were  from  the  first  distrustful  of  both  of  these  young 
men.  Alexander,  being  the  elder,  was  the  "heir  apparent"  to  the 
Wampanoag  throne.  He  had  scarcely  succeeded  his  father,  when 
Death  of  there  were  so  many  reports  abroad  of  his  plotting  against  the  whites 
soil  that  he  was  ordered  to  appear  before  the  general  court  at  Plymouth 
to  clear,  if  possible,  his  character  from  suspicion.  He  disregarded 
the  order,  was  arrested,  and  brought  into  the  presence  of  the  author 
ities,  where  his  explanation  of  his  conduct  was  accepted.  Soon  after 
this  occurrence  Alexander  died  very  suddenly,  and  the  Indians  in 
sisted  that  he  had  been  poisoned  by  the  English,  who  ascribed  his 
death  to  intense  mortification  and  anger  because  of  his  arrest.  How 
shall  we  decide  which  theory  was  correct  ? 

The  second  son,  Philip,  now  became  chief  of  his  tribe.  He  ranks 
as  one  of  the  great  Indians  of  history,  and  will  always  be  known  as 
"King  Philip,"  and  sometimes  as  "King  Philip,  of  Mount  Hope," 
because  his  home  was  on  Mount  Hope,  near  Bristol,  in  Rhode 
Island.  He  renewed  the  treaty  made  by  his  father  with  the  English, 
and  for  a  dozen*  years  faithfully  observed  its  provisions.  The  col 
onists,  however,  were  still  suspicious  of  him,  and  summoned 
him  to  Plymouth  to  explain  the  rumors  about  his  plottings. 
Philip  obeyed  the  command,,  and  asserted  that  he  harbored  no  thought 
of  harming  the  whites.  In  proof  of  his  sincerity,  he  offered  his 
younger  brother  as  a  hostage  until  the  truth  could  be  proved.  The 
court  did  not  accept  the  offer,  and  Philip  and  five  of  his  sachems  * 
signed  an  agreement  to  remain  loyal  and  faithful  subjects  of  the 
king  of  England,  while  the  court,  in  turn,  bound  itself  to  give  Philip 
and  his  tribe  whatever  help  they  might  need.  The  peace  which  fol 
lowed  lasted  for  five  years. 

The  fires  of  hatred  slumbered  but  were  not  quenched  in  the  hearts 
of  the  red  men,  and  the  colonists  could  never  rid  themselves  of  their 
misgivings  about  Philip.  Many  minor  causes  added  to  the  friction 
between  the  sachem  and  the  white  people,  until  only  a  little  more 
irritation  was  needed  to  bring  on  an  outbreak.  There  were  num 
bers  of  "  praying  Indians"  among  the  Wampanoags,  and  one  of 

*  Sa'-chem,  a'  chief. 


CHAP,  xin     COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF    NEW   ENGLAND 


205 


them,  John  Sassamon,  had  been  partially  educated  at  Harvard 
College.  He  acted  as  the  close  friend  and  secretary  of  Philip, 
and  regularly  revealed  to  the  colonists  every  plan  and  scheme  of 
the  sachem.  His  treachery  was  discovered,  and  he  was  killed, 
probably  by  the  order  of  Philip.  Three  Wampanoags  were  convicted 
of  the  crime  and  hanged.  The  testimony  which  condemned  them 
would  not  have  been  accepted  in  any  civilized  court  to-day. 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


INDIANS    ATTACK    SWANSEA 

By  this  time  Philip  had  made  up  his  mind  to  go  to  war.  He  saw 
that  he  was  continually  suspected,  that  his  declarations  of  friendship 
were  not  believed,  and  that  the  blame  of  every  wrong  done  by  his 
people  was  placed  at  his  door.  But  the  sachem  could  not  rally  a 
thousand  warriors  of  his  own  people,  whereas,  if  he  formed  a  union  of 
the  tribes  in  New  England,  he  would  be  able  to  muster  twenty-five 
thousand.  He  sought  to  bring  about  such  a  union,  but,  before  he 
could  succeed  in  the  effort,  the  eagerness  of  the  Wampanoags  com 
pelled  him  to  lead  them  upon  the  warpath.  The  squaws  and  papooses 


King 
Philip's 
War, 
1675- 
1678 


X>4  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xm 


were  sent  to  the  Narragansetts,  and  his  warriors  at  once  made  ready 
for  the  fray. 

< 

The  settlements  saw  with  alarm  the  approaching  signs  of  war. 
1602       The  24th  of  June,  1675,  was  appointed  as  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer, 
1758       that  the  calamity  might  be  averted.     At  Swansea,    while  the  people 
were  returning  from  church,  they  were  suddenly  attacked  by  a  force 
Attack    of  Indians.     One  man  was  killed,  and  several  were  wounded.     Two 
Swansea  others  ran  for  a  surgeon,  but  were  killed,  and  six  more  were  shot 
down  near  the  fort.     Several  houses  aftd  barns  were  burned,  and  the 
Wampanoags  fled  before  the  whites  could  rally  against  them.     The 
war  having  been  opened  in  this  startling  manner,  it  was  prosecuted 
with  the  utmost  fury  by  the   red  men.     The    New  England  settle 
ments   were    so    far    apart    that    they  were  peculiarly  exposed  to 
Indian  attack.     The  crack  of  the  rifle,  and  the  war-whoop,  broke  the 
midnight  stillness,  and  the  shadowy  figures,  hideous  in  their  war 
paint,  leaped  from  the  gloom  of  the  woods  with  tomahawk  and  knife, 
and  rushed  upon  their  victims  before  they  were  fairly  awakened  from 
sleep.     Men,  women,  and  children,  and  even  babes-in-arms,  received 
no  mercy  at  the  hands  of  these  fierce  warriors,  who  seemed  to  feel 
that  theirs  was  the  task  to  avenge  the  wrongs  of  a  century. 

For  some  time  after  the  opening  of  the  war,  the  strife  was  confined 
to  the  Plymouth  colony,  where  Winslow  was  governor,  while  John 
Winthrop,  the  younger,  was  governor  of  Connecticut  and  New  Haven, 
and  Leverett  gpvernor  of  Massachusetts.  Rhode  Island  tried  to 
keep  out  of  the  war,  but  was  unable  to  do  so.  A  number  of  her  people 
were  killed  at  Tiverton,  and  several  houses  burned  at  Providence.  The 
whites  compelled  the  Narragansetts  to  make  a  treaty  of  peace  vcith 
them.  This  was  an  almost  fatal  blow  to  Philip's  hopes,  but  he  was 
undismayed,  and  roused  other  tribes  to  join  him  in  the  warfare. 

Scouts  reported  that  the  Nipmuck  Indians  were  about  to  unite  with 

Philip,  and  Captain  Edward  Hutchinson  with  a  score  of  troopers  was 

sent  to  prevent,  if  possible,  such  a  junction.     On  the  road,  the  party 

was   ambushed,  and  eight  were   killed  and  four  wounded,  Captain 

Hutchinson  being  among  the  slain.     Those  who  escaped  succeeded  in 

Attack    reaching  Brookfield  and  gave  the  alarm.     The  terrified   inhabitants, 

Brook-    numbering  about  a  hundred,  knew  that  the  Indians  would  soon  be 

field       there,   so  they  hurriedly  crowded   into  the  only  stone  structure  in 

the  place.      They  had    hardly  done    this,    when    several     hundred 

screeching     savages     swarmed     through    the    village,     with     rifle, 


CHAP,  xni     COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF    NEW   ENGLAND  205 

tomahawk,  scalping-knife,  and  torch.  House  after  house  was  fired,  PERIOD  n 
until  every  building,  except  the  stone  structure  which  served  as  a  ^^""J" 
refuge,  was  in  flames.  SSS?" 

Men  who  are  defending  not  only  their  own  lives  but  those  of  their  J^2 
wives  and  little  ones  against  Indians  may  be  depended  upon  to  fight  *758 
to  the  last,  for  they  know  that  surrender  cannot  save  them.  Again 
and  again  did  a  painted  warrior,  torch  in  hand,  try  to  steal  up  to  the 
building,  but  in  every  instance  he  was  shot  down  by  the  alert  defenders. 
An  unwary  settler  was  seized  by  the  savages,  killed,  and  his  head 
used  as  a  football.  Every  man  in  the  house  knew  that,  unless  help 
reached  them,  they  were  doomed.  A  swift  runner  attempted  to  steal 
into  the  woods,  to  alarm  the  nearest  settlement,  but  was  detected 
by  the  watchful  Indians,  and  had  barely  time  to  run  back  among  his 
friends  to  secure  his  own  safety.  After  waiting  a  while,  another 
scout  repeated  the  attempt,  with  a  like  result.  Then  that  hope  was 
abandoned. 

All  through  the  night  the  danger  continued,  and,  if  possible,  grew 
greater.  The  repeated  failures  of  the  assailants  only  made  them  more 
cautious.  Arrows  tipped  with  burning  tow  were  aimed  against 
the  roof  of  the  building,  but  the  flames  thus  kindled  did  not  hold. 
About  midnight,  the  full  moon  rose  above  the  tree- tops,  and  revealed 
a  new  and  startling  perilto  the  defenders.  The  Nipmucks  had  silently 
gathered  a  huge  pile  of  leaves,  twigs,  and  dried  branches  at  one 
corner  of  the  building  to  which  they  now  applied  the  torch.  This 
meant  a  horrible  death  to  all  unless  the  flames  in  some  way  or 
other  could  be  extinguished,  and  it  was  soon  seen  to  be  impossible 
to  quench  them  from  the  inside.  Under  cover  of  a  number  of  the 
best  marksmen,  several  defenders  rushed  out  and  scattered  the  burn 
ing  mass,  returning  into  the  building  without  harm.  Again  did  the 
Indians  pile  the  material  together  and  fire  it,  and  a  second  time  was 
it  flung  aside  by  the  daring  settlers.  Not  only  were  the  assailants  Perti- 
repulsed,  but,  during  the  confusion,  one  of  the  swiftest  runners  of  the  "f  ^ 
white  men  succeeded  in  darting  into  the  woods  without  detection,  and  Attack 
started  off  in  quest  of  the  help  which  was  so  sorely  needed.  All 
through  the  night,  and  the  succeeding  day  and  night,  was  the  attack 
pressed  without  cessation.  The  roof  was  repeatedly  set  on  fire  by  the 
blazing  arrows,  but  holes  were  cut  and  water  flung  upon  the  wreaths 
of  flame  before  they  gained  headway.  This  occurred  so  often  that 
the  roof  was  perforated  and  partially  burnt  in  a  score  of  places. 


206 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xin 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 

SSTTLI- 

MENT 

1602 

TO 


Assault 

on 
Hadley 


Still  the  assailants  would  not  relax  their  fell  designs,  but  persevered 
until  it  seemed  that  they  must  succeed.  On  the  third  day  a  wagon 
was  loaded  with  hemp,  flax,  hay,  and  wood,  fired  and  backed  against  the 
house.  The  load  served  as  an  effective  shield  to  the  Indians,  who 
kept  it  between  them  and  the  rifles  of  the  defenders,  and  when  it  was 
all  ablaze,  jammed  it  against  the  building.  At  this  dreadful  moment, 
when  the  distressed  colonists  were  in  despair,  a  sudden  fall  of  rain 
quenched  the  flames,  and  so  saturated  the  material  that  it  was  im 
possible  to  rekindle  it.  It  was  a  merciful  deliverance. 

Meanwhile,  the  runner  who  e  luded  the  savages  was  making  the 
best  possible  use  of  his  time,  and  another  of  those  strange  provi 
dences  which  made  the  defense  of  Brookfield  one  of  the  most  strik 
ing  episodes  of  colonial  history  intervened  to  save  the  defenders, 
when  all  hope  seemed  gone.  Major  Simon  Willard,  a  hardy  vet 
eran  of  seventy  years,  was  at.  Boston,  thirty  miles  away,  when  news 
was  brought  to  him  of  the  sore  strait  of  Brookfield.  He  and  fifty 
troopers  leaped  into  their  saddles  and  dashed  to  the  help  of  their 
friends.  Just  as  night  was  closing  in,  they  reached  the  town  and 
attacked  the  Nipmucks  with  the  Utmost  fury.  When  this  tragic 
work  was  done,  not  a  live  Indian  was  in  sight,  and  eighty  of  their 
number  (including  those  shot  by  the  defenders)  were  stretched  life 
less  on  the  ground. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  following  month,  which  was  a  Sunday,  the 
Indians  made  a  furious  assault  upon  Hadley,  Massachusetts.  So  sud 
den  was  the  attack  that  the  settlers  were  driven  towards  the  meeting 
house,  in  which  the  women  and  children  had  taken  refuge,  and  it 
looked  as  if  the  most  frightful  massacre  of  the  whole  war  was  about 
to  ensue.  Presently,  a  tall  man  appeared  among  the  panic-stricken- 
people,  as  if  he  had  sprung  from  the  ground.  He  had  flowing  white 
hair,  a  long  grizzled  beard,  and  carried  a  sword  in  his  hand.  He 
issued  his  commands  in  a  sharp,  ringing  voice  and  with  a  martial 
air  which  showed  that  that  was  not  the  first  time  he  had  been  in 
battle.  He  quickly  brought  order  out  of  chaos,  secured  discipline, 
and  led  a  charge  against  the  Indians  which  scattered  them  in  every 
direction.  Then  he  vanished  as  unaccountably  as  he  had  appeared. 
It  cannot  be  wondered  at  that  the  devout  settlers  looked  upon  the 
mysterious  stranger  as  a  visitant  from  heaven  sent  to  save  them.  He 
was  veritable  flesh  and  blood,  however,  in  the  person  of  General  Goffe, 
the  regicide,  one  of  the  major-generals  under  Cromwell,  who  was  iiv 


208  HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xm 

PERIOD  ii  hiding  from  the  officers  of  King  Charles  II.  at  the  house  of  a  friend 
in  Hadley. 

* 

On  the  -  same  day   that    this   happened  a  number  of  houses  and 
1602       barns  were  burned  at  Deerfield ;  and  some  weeks  later  most  of  the 

TO  ' 

1758       dwellings  in  Northfield  were  destroyed,  and  a  dozen  settlers  killed. 
Captain  Beers  and  thirty  men  set   out  to  relieve  the  place,  but  were 

Deerfield  ambushed  on  the  way,  and  he  and  twenty  of  his  soldiers  were  slain. 

Attacked  Deerfield  was  once  again  attacked,  this  time  on  a  Sunday.  The 
colonist-farmers  fled  in  such  haste  that  they  left  a  large  quantity  of 
grain  unthreshed  in  the  fields.  To  save  it  from  the  enemy,  Captain 
Lathrop,  with  eighty  young  men  of  Ipswich,  "  the  flower  of  Essex," 
set  out  with  wagons  and  teamsters  to  finish  threshing  the  grain  and 
secure  it.  This  was  done,  and  with  the  leaded  wagons  they  started 
to  return.  On  the  morning  of  the  1 8th,  unsuspicious  of  danger,  the 
party  halted  by  a  small  brook  for  rest.  The  abundance  of  luscious 
grapes  caused  them  to  leave  their  weapons  in  the  wagons,  while  they 
separated  to  gather  the  tempting  fruit.  A  force  of  several  hundred 
Indians  had  been  stealthily  following  the  party  all  night,  waiting  for 
some  such  opportunity  as  now  presented  itself.  They  fell  upon  the 
unarmed  men  with  an  impetuosity  that  allowed  only  seven  to  escape. 
Captain  Mosely,  with  a  small  force,  at  Deerfield,  heard  the  firing  and 
apprehended  its  cause.  He  hurried  to  the  spot,  attacked  the  Indians 
with  great  gallantry,  and>  being  reinforced,  inflicted  severe  loss  upon 
them  and  drove  them  off.  That  day,  the  water  in  the  little  stream 
ran  red  from  the  butchery,  and  it  has  been  known  ever  since  as  "  Bloody 
Brook/' 

The  settlers  were  terrified  at  the  success  of  King  Philip.     They  saw 

that  the  only  way  to  escape  the  fate  that  had  overtaken  so  many  was 

by  a  ceaseless  campaign  against  him — one  that  should  crush  him  and 

his  tribe.     The  formidable  Narragansetts  had  become  his  allies,  and  it 

was  decided  first  to  march  against  them.     Accordingly,  Connecticut, 

Plymouth,  and  Massachusetts  placed  an  armed  force  in  the  field,  of 

more  than  one  thousand  men,  one-half  of  whom  were  furnished  by 

Massachusetts.     They  were  joined  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  Mohican 

The       warriors,     under    the    command   of    Governor    Josiah    Winslow,    of 

Narra-      Plymouth. 

take  Through  a  captured  prisoner,  Winslow  was  apprised  that  more  than 

twt*le      three  thousand  Narragansetts  had  rendezvoused   in  their  stronghold 

path      at  South  Kingston,  Rhode  Island.     This  fort,  so  far  as  known,  was 


CHAP,  xin     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW    ENGLAND 


209 


never  surpassed  in  strength  by  any  other  constructed  by  American  PERIOD  n 
Indians.  It  stood  on  elevated  ground  in  the  midst  of  a  swamp,  and 
covered  several  acres.  Strong  palisades  enclosed  it  on  every  side. 
The  only  path  leading  within  it  was  over  a  foot-bridge  of  logs  loosely 
flung  together.  Within  this  enclosure  the  Indians  had  constructed  six 
hundred  wigwams,  and  stored  their  winter  provisions.  The  weather 
was  bitterly  cold,  and  snow  had  fallen  to  a  great  depth.  The  strong- 


COLONIZA- 
TION  AN» 

SKTTL»- 

MKNT 

l6O2 

TO 

I75» 


THE   NARRAQANSETT    STRONGHOLD 

hold  was  so  difficult  of  access,  and  the  weather  so  severe,  that  the 
Narragansetts  felt  little  fear  of  molestation.  It  was  no  child's  play 
for  the  New  Englanders  to  assault  the  place;  and  when,  on  the 
1 9th  of  December,  they  rushed  through  the  snow  in  the  effort  to  cap 
ture  it,  they  were  met  with  so  destructive  a  fire  that  they  were  forced 
back  with  heavy  loss,  six  captains  being  among  the  number  slain. 

Captain  Benjamin  Church,  seeing  that  it  was  almost  impossible 
to  take  the  fort  from  its  face-front,  assailed  it  from  the  rear.  There 
the  defences  were  not  quite  so  strong,  and  after  the  most  desperate 


Attack 
on  the 
Narra- 
gan 
setts' 
Strong 
hold, 
1675 


14 


310 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xm 


COLONIZA 
TION  AN  » 
SBTTLE- 

MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


fighting  he  and  his  party  forced  an  entrance.  So  furious  was  the 
struggle  at  this  point  that  Church  was  wounded  three  times.  He  did 
not  wish  to  fire  the  wigwams,  because  they  were  filled  with  corn,  but 
in  no  other  way  could  the  Narragansetts  be  ejected.  The  torch  was 
applied  in  a  score  of  places,  and  the  flames  darted  from  wigwam  to 
wigwam  until  the  whole  interior  was  a  roaring  conflagration. 

The  intolerable  heat  drove  out  the  Indians.  On  the  outside,  they 
fought  with  the  same  bravery  they  had  shown  from  the  first,  and  only 
after  the  most  determined  efforts  were  the  soldiers  able  to  drive  them 
from  the  swamp  and  into  the  open  country.  Six  or  seven  hundred 
warriors  were  killed,  including  a  number  of  leading  chiefs,  while  the 
loss  of  the  soldiers  was  nearly  a  hundred  slain  and  a  greater  number 
wounded.  Among  the  captured  Indians  was  Canonchet,  the  head 
sachem  of  the  tribe,  who  had  broken  his  treaty  with  the  whites.  To 
punish  him  for  his  treachery,  he  was  put  to  death.  The  loss  of  their 
food  brought  the  Narragansetts  to  the  verge  of  starvation.  Indeed, 
many  of  them  perished  with  hunger,  and  the  dominion  of  the  once 
powerful  tribe  was  destroyed. 

It  would  seem  that  so  crushing  a  victory  ought  to  have  ended  the 
war,  and  it  probably  would  had  Philip  been  killed,  but  his  hatred  of 
the  white  people  made  him  as  active  in  his  hostility  as  ever.  He 
strove  to  induce  the  Mohawks  to  join  him,  but  they  refused,  and  he 
stirred  up  other  Indians  to  take  anew  to  the  warpath.  In  about  a 
month,  the  war  spread  over  an  area  of  three  hundred  miles.  Exposed 
cabins  were  ruthlessly  fired,  and  families  were  tortured  to  death. 
Warwick  and  Providence,  in .  Rhode  Island,  were  almost  laid  in 
ashes,  and  in  Massachusetts,  the  villages  of  Medford,  Weymouth, 
Groton,  Lancaster,  and  Marlborough  were  burned.  Lancaster  fell  a 
victim  to  the  vengeance  of  the  Wachuset  warriors.  The  attack  was 
made  late  in  winter,  and  after  a  number  had  been  slain,  others  were 
carried  off  prisoners.  Among  these  was  Mrs.  Rowlandson,  wife  of 
the  minister,  and  her  little  girl,  barely  six  years  old.  Both  were 
wounded  by  the  same  bullet,  but  the  devoted  mother  tramped  through 
the  snow  for  more  than  a  week,  with  the  little  one  pressed  to  her 
breast,  and  then  saw  it  die  in  her  arms.  For  three  days  neither 
partook  of  a  mouthful  of  food.  After  several  months  of  captivity, 
the  mother  was  ransomed  and  returned  to  her  friends. 

So  many  successes  came  to  the  Indians  that  they  grew  more 
reckless  and  defiant.  A  number  actually  encamped  among  the  de- 


Extent 

Of  the 
War 


CHAP,  xii      COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF    NEW   ENGLAND  2 II 

serted  fields  at  Deerfield  and  began  planting  them.     This  so  roused    PERIOD  u 
Captain  Turner,  twenty  miles  away,  that   he   gathered   a   hundred    COLONUA 
troopers,  and,  riding  hard,  reached  the  Indian  encampment  at  daylight,     sJJJJf 
May  loth.     The  attack  was  a  surprise  to  the  savages,  most  of  whom       J^2 
fled  in  such  haste  to  their  canoes  that  they  left  their  paddles  behind,       1758 
and  were  swept  over  the  falls.     The  others  were  pursued  and  shot 
down  with  so  much  vigor  that  between  two  and  three  hundred  were     A  Vic- 
slain,  while  only  a  single  white  man  was  killed.     Sad  to  say,  how-    the  Set- 
ever,  the  soldiers,  in  this  engagement  as  in  many  other  instances,  Turner's 
lost  the  decisive  advantage  they  had  gained.     Another  large  force      Falls, 
of  hostiles  was  in  the  vicinity,  and  made  haste  to  the  spot.     The 
rumor  that  the  implacable  Philip  was  the  leader  of  this  band  stam 
peded    the   soldiers,  of  whom  one-third,  including   Captain  Turner, 
were  unfortunately  killed. 

But  there  could  be  only  one  end  to  this  decimating  warfare. 
The  whites  were  the  most  numerous,  and  with  their  discipline  and 
resolution  they  began  to  gain  ground.  An  attack  upon  Hadley  by 
the  savages  was  repulsed  with  heavy  loss,  and  so  many  other  defeats 
followed  that  the  scene  of  hostilities  shifted  southward  to  Connec 
ticut  and  Rhode  Island. 

Massachusetts  passed  a  law  providing  for  the  impressment  of 
soldiers,  and  enforced  all  possible  measures  against  the  Indians. 
Captain  Church,  having  recovered  from  the  wounds  received  at  Kings 
ton,  was  merciless  in  harrying  the  hostiles.  He  persuaded  a  number 
who  were  allies  of  Philip  to  withdraw  from  his  support,  and  at  the 
opportune  hour,  Massachusetts  sent  out  a  proclamation  offering  to 
pardon  every  warrior  who  would  lay  down  his  arms  within  two  weeks.  End  of 
A  great  many  took  advantage  of  this  offer,  so  that  by  midsummer 
the  war  was  virtually  over. 

But  among  those  who  submitted  was  not  King  Philip.  When 
one  of  his  warriors  ventured  to  advise  him  to  surrender,  the  chief 
tain  buried  his  tomahawk  in  his  brain.  He  cut  off  his  hair  and  so 
changed  his  appearance  that  only  his  most  intimate  friends  could 
recognize  him.  There  is  no  doubt  that  this  disguise  was  more  than 
once  the  means  of  saving  the  sachem  of  the  Wampanoags  when  he 
was  hard  pressed.  His  uncle  was  shot  down  at  his  side  by  a  soldier, 
who,  had  he  suspected  the  identity  of  the  chieftain,  would  not  have 
wasted  his  bullet  upon  his  relative.  Philip  and  a  number  of  his 
companions,  however,  were  fugitives,  and  were  forced  to  flee  from 


212 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xm 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AMD 
SBTTLB- 

MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Death  of 
King 
Philip 


Count- 
fog  the 
Cost 


place  to  place,  hiding  in  the  deepest  swamps,  running  for  their  lives, 
and  without  cessation  were  hunted  night  and  day. 

One  afternoon,  an  Indian  runner  came  into  the  camp  of  Captain 
Church,  at  Tiverton,  with  most  important  news.  He  said  that  Philip 
and  his  small  band  were  on  a  piece  of  land  at  the  south  end  of  the 
swamp,  near  the  foot  of  Mount  Hope.  The  motive  of  the  Indian  in 
thus  betraying  his  leader  it  seems  was  revenge,  for  he  was  the 
brother  of  the  warrior  whom  Philip  slew  because  he  advised  the 
sachem  to  surrender.  Church  was  familiar  with  the  spot,  and  did  not 
doubt  the  truth  of  the  warrior's  statement.  Without  the  loss  of  an 
hour  he  hurried  thither,  and  placed  his  men  so  as  to  guard  every  out 
let  of  the  swamp.  Then  he  sent  in  several  soldiers  to  rout  out  the 
chief. 

The  instant  Philip  saw  his  danger  he  made  a  dash  for  one  of  the 
outlets,  where  a  soldier  and  an  Indian  ally  were  stationed.  Seeing 
the  fugitive  approaching,  the  two  raised  their  rifles  and  fired  at  the 
same  instant.  The  weapon  of  the  white  man  "  flashed  in  the  pan," 
but  the  Indian's  did  not.  His  bullet  went  through  Philip's  heart, 
who  with  a  shriek  flung  his  arms  aloft,  and  fell  dead  in  a  pool  of 
water.  Captain  Church  cut  off  the  Indian  chief's  head,  and  it  was 
for  a  time  displayed  on  the  palisades  at  Plymouth.  The  wife  and  son 
of  the  chieftain  had  been  captured  before  his  death,  and  the  Massachu 
setts  authorities  debated  as  to  what  was  the  wisest  disposition  to 
make,  particularly  of  the  heir  to  the  Wampanoag  throne.  Was  it  more 
prudent  to  put  him  to  death  than  to  make  a  slave  of  him  ?  The  latter 
course  was  adopted,  and  he  was  sold  into  slavery  in  Bermuda.  Such 
was  the  woful  ending  of  the  dynasty  of  Massasoit,  who  welcomed  the 
Pilgrims  to  Plymouth  and  remained  their  constant  friend  throughout 
his  long  lifetime. 

In  one  sense,  King  Philip's  war  was  the  most  disastrous  that  ever 
afflicted  our  country.  More  than  six  hundred  persons,  mostly  young 
men  who  could  be  ill-spared,  had  been  slain ;  thirteen  towns  and  five 
hundred  buildings  were  burned ;  while  the  expense  of  the  war  was 
fully  half-a-million  dollars.  To  the  Indians  the  cost  was  still  more 
fearful.  Probably  three  thousand  of  them  were  killed,  and  a  death 
blow  was  given  to  the  powerful  confederacy  which  the  genius  of 
Philip  had  welded  together  from  the  most  stubborn  of  all  materials. 
A  treaty  was  made  in  1678,  which  brought  hostilities  to  an  end. 


FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  DRAWING  BY  J.    STEEPLE    DAVIS 

KING    PHILIP'S   WAR  — DEATH     OF    THE    KING 


King 

James 

II 


Sir  Ed- 

mund 
Andros 


CHAPTER     XIV 
THE   COLONIAL   HISTORY  OF  NEW  ENGLAND 

(Continued) 

[Authorities:  Besides  the  troubles  with  local  Indian  tribes  narrated  in  the  previous  chap- 
ter,  the  New  England  colonists  were  now  to  suffer  severely  from  the  forays  of  the  French 
in  Canada,  at  the  time  under  the  iron  rule  of  Count  Frontenac,  the  ablest  administrator 
France  ever  had  in  the  New  World.  The  two  great  European  races  -were  then  en 
gaged  in  war,  owing  chiefly  to  Louis  XIV.  having  espoused  the  Stuart  cause,  after  the 
English  Revolution  of  1688.  Frontenac,  taking  advantage  of  that  fact,  and  holding  the 
English  colonists  of  the  seaboard  responsible  for  inciting  Iroquois  attacks  upon  the 
French  settlements  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  organized  repeated  military  expeditions,  com 
posed  largely  of  Huron  Indians,  into  the  frontier  settlements  of  Maine,  New  Hampshire^ 
and  New  York,  and  committed  great  havoc,  and  caused  much  shedding  of  blood.  To 
offset  these  raids,  a  colonial  congress,  held  at  New  York,  ordered  an  attack  by  sea  on  the 
French  posts  in  Acadia,  which  were  captured  ;  but  Sir  William  Phips's  attack  on  Quebec, 
which  followed,  was  repulsed  and  abandoned.  The  raiding  expeditions  continued  for 
some  years,  until  the  passing  of  the  Treaty  of  Ryswick  (1697) ,  when  there  was  a  period  of 
five  years'  peace,  until  the  outbreak  of  what  is  known  as  Queen  Anne's  war  (1702-1713), 
over  the  question  of  the  Spanish  succession  in  Europe.  The  chief  event  in  the  New 
World  of  that  European  embroilment  was  the  capture,  by  the  New  England  troops,  of 
the  French  stronghold  of  Louisbourg,  in  Cape  Breton,  which,  however,  reverted  shortly 
afterwards  to  the  French,  under  the  treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  (1748).  For  a  fuller 
treatment  of  these  matters,  as  they  affected  the  New  England  colonies,  see  the  general 
histories,  and  the  chief  local  monographs  previously  cited.] 

[AMES    II.  ascended  the  throne  of  England  in  1685. 
He  was  a  great  tyrant,  and  one  of    his  first  acts 
was  to  declare  void  the  charter  of  Massachusetts, 
and  to  appoint  Joseph  Dudley  governor  of  the  coun 
try  from  Rhode  Island  to  Nova  Scotia.     The  latter 
was  almost  immediately  succeeded  by  Sir  Edmund 
Andros  as  viceroy  of  all  New  England. 
Something  has  been  said  in  a  previous   chapter  about  Governor 
Andros.     In  his  anxiety  to  carry  out  his  sovereign's  will,  he  became 


ffxt  Ouutcr  Oak 


CHAP,  xiv     COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF   NEW   ENGLAND 


21$ 


so  oppressive  that  he  was  soon  detested  by  those  over  whom  he  ruled. 
The  people  of  Massachusetts  were  on  the  point  of  rising  in  arms  and 
driving  him  from  the  colony,  when  the  welcome  news  reached  Boston, 
in  April,  1689,  that  the  revolution  which  brought  about  the  fall  of 
the  Stuart  dynasty  in  England  had  resulted  in  placing  William  and 
Mary  on  the  throne.  James  II.  saved  his  head  by  fleeing  to  France, 
where  the  French  king,  Louis  XIV.,  sheltered  him.  Both  were 
Roman  Catholics,  and  the  French  monarch  promised  to  help  his  royal 
English  brother  to  regain  his  throne  from  William  and  MaYy,  both 
of  whom  were  Protestants.  War,  therefore,  broke  out  between  France 
and  England,  and  involved  their  respective  colonies  in  America. 
This  conflict  is  known  in  history  as  King  William's  war. 

The  news  of  James's  dethronement  kindled  a  revolt  in  Massachu 
setts.  Simon  Bradstreet,  then  ninety  years  of  age,  was  governor, 
when  the  king  struck  down  the  liberties  of  the  province,  and  he  was 
now  reinstated.  Andros  blustered,  but  he  and  the  more  obnoxious 
of  his  associates  were  arrested  and  imprisoned.  An  assembly  was 
called,  which  declared  the  ancient  charter  restored.  William  and 
Mary  were  proclaimed  in  May,  and  a  letter  from  the  joint  sovereigns 
approved  of  the  acts  and  directed  Andros  to  appear  in  England  to 
answer  the  charges  against  him. 

The  French  were  wiser  than  the  English  in  gaining  the  friend 
ship  of  the  Indians  of  the  Algonquin  stock  who  peopled  the  St. 
Lawrence  Valley,  and  who  now  became  their  allies  in  desolating  the 
English  settlements.  The  colonists  from  France  had  settled  in 
Canada  and  along  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  were,  therefore,  neighbors 
of  those  in  New  York  and  northern  New  England.  The  French 
Jesuits  were  an  association  of  Roman  Catholics  of  every  degree,  who 
cheerfully  underwent  all  manner  of  trial,  affliction,  suffering,  and 
self-sacrifice  to  convert  the  Indians  and  advance  the  interests  of  their 
order.  No  more  perfect  organization,  for  a  specific  object,  ever 
existed.  They  brought  whole  tribes  under  their  sway,  and  held  the 
dusky  warriors  in  New  France  in  thrall.  The  English  settlements 
in  New  York,  however,  kept  the  powerful  Iroquois  Confederacy,  or 
Five  Nations,  like  a  mountain  wall  between  themselves  and  the 
Canadian  Indians. 

The  first  blow  was  struck  by  the  French  and  their  Huron  allies 
in  June.  On  the  2/th  of  that  month,  they  attacked  the  little  settle- 
ment  of  Dover,  in  New  Hampshire,  killed  a  score  of  persons,  and  car- 


PBRIOB  n 


Ham' 


1697 


The 


Attack 
ver>  New 


1689 


216 


HISTORY    OF   THE   UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xiv 


PMUO»H 

COLONIZA 
TION  AN» 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Attack 

on 

Sche 
nectady, 
1690 


Colonial 
Con 
gress, 
1690 


ried  off  some  thirty  captives.  In  August,  another  party  paddled 
down  the  Penobscot  and  passed  along  the  coast  to  Pemaquid,  now 
Bremen.  Their  coming  was  so  unexpected  that  many  of  the  settlers 
were  killed  while  at  work  in  the  fields,  and  the  fort  after  a  two  days' 
siege  surrendered,  only  a  handful  of  the  defenders  escaping  to  the 
woods. 

In  January  following,  Frontenac,  the  redoubtable  governor  of 
Canada,  sent  three  hundred  French  and  Indians  from  Montreal  into 
the  province  of  New  York.  The  snow  lay  deep  on  the  ground,  and 
the  weather  was  bitterly  cold ;  but  the  invaders  pushed  forward  for 
many  days  on  snow-shoes,  until  within  sight  of  Schenectady,  where 
they  hid  themselves  in  the  woods  until  late  at  night.  The  inhabi 
tants  did  not  dream  of  danger,  and  no  sentinels  were  at  their  posts. 
Their  enemies  rushed  into  the  streets  at  midnight,  and  began  their 
frightful  work.  Sixty  persons  were  tomahawked,  and  the  town 
given  to  the  flames.  The  survivors  rushed  out  in  the  snow,  half- 
clad,  and,  after  incredible  suffering,  reached  Albany,  sixteen  miles 
distant.  It  is  but  fair  to  the  Fiench  to  say  that  this  expedition 
was  undertaken  chiefly  by  way  of  reprisal  for  the  Iroquois  raid  upon 
Montreal,  and  the  massacre  by  that  vengeful  tribe  of  the  French  at 
Lachine.  It  was  thought  in  the  French  colony  that  the  English 
settlers  of  the  seaboard  had  instigated  the  Iroquois  attack,  and  hence 
the  raid  into  New  York  State  was  a  sort  of  striking  back  upon  the 
part  of  the  French  and  their  Huron  allies.  The  latter,  moreover*, 
had  reasons  of  their  own  for  returning  blow  for  blow,  since  their  own 
country — the  region  round  Lake  Huron — had,  forty  years  before, 
been  devastated  by  the  Iroquois,  and  the  Huron  tribe  was  all  but 
destroyed. 

The  atrocity  at  Schenectady,  with  other  like  outrages,  roused  New 
England  to  the  necessity  of  sharp  retaliatory  measures.  At  the  sug 
gestion  of  Massachusetts,  a  colonial  congress  met  in  New  York,  May 
I,  1690,  to  agree  upon  concerted  plans  for  the  general  security.  The 
most  important  step  taken  was  the  decision  to  invade  Canada  by  way 
of  Lake  Champlain  to  Montreal.  Massachusetts  arranged  to  send  a 
naval  expedition  up  the  St.  Lawrence  against  Quebec.  The  fleet  was 
composed  of  thirty-four  vessels,  manned  by  two  thousand  New  Eng- 
landers,  under  the  command  of  Sir  William  Phips.  He  advanced 
with  snail-like  tardiness  and  compelled  the  surrender  of  Port  Royal, 
in  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  while  Nova  Scotia  offered  no  resistance  at  all. 


CHAP,  xiv     COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF   NEW   ENGLAND  217 

The  progress  up  the  St.  Lawrence  was  so  slow  that  Frontenac  was    PERIOD  n 
given  time  to  fortify  Quebec,   and    he  scornfully  rejected  Phips's    COLONIZA- 
summons  to  surrender  when  he  appeared  before  the  city  and  citadel     *^LT' 
in  October.     Thereupon  Phips  returned  with  the  fleet  to  Boston.      .        l6°2 

In  the  mean  time  the  army,  under  command  of  a  son  of  Governor       1758 
Winthrop,  of  Connecticut,  had  advanced  at  such  a  laggard  pace  that 
it  did   not  reach   the   head  of    Lake    Champlain  until   September.     Failure 
Winthrop  sent  a  force  to  attack  Montreal,  but  Frontenac  easily  re*   invasion 
pulsed  it,  and  the  whole  army  returned  to  Albany  without  striking  a  °laC^^ 
blow.     The  invasion  of  Canada  was  a  disastrous  failure. 

Sir  William  Phips  now  visited  England  to  ask  for  aid  in  prose 
cuting  the  war  against  the  French  and  Indians,  and  to  procure  a  more 
satisfactory  restoration  of  the  charter  of  Massachusetts  taken  away    A  New 
by  James  II.     The  help  desired  was  not  given,  but  the  sovereign    granted 
issued  a  new  charter  which  united  Massachusetts,  Plymouth,  Maine,     Maissa.- 
and  Nova  Scotia  under  the  name  of  the  "  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony,"   chusetts, 
with  Phips  as  governor.     This  charter  was  unsatisfactory  to  Massa 
chusetts,  for  it  was  far  less  liberal  in   its  provisions  than  the  old  one. 
Still  it  was  accepted,  since  no  other  choice  was  at  the  command  of 
the  people. 

The  frontier  settlements  suffered  very  heavily  while  King  Wil 
liam's  war  was  in  progress.  It  is  not  worth  while  to  relate  all  the 
incidents  that  occurred ;  but  there  is  one  so  strange  that  it  must  not 
be  omitted,  though  it  will  be  found  hard  to  believe  the  amazing  story. 
One  day  in  March,  1697,  Thomas  Dustin  was  working  in  his  field 
near  Haverhill,  within  thirty  miles  of  Boston,  when  he  saw  a  war- 
party  of  Indians  approaching  from  the  woods.  Like  most  of  the  set 
tlers,  Dustin  made  it  a  practice  to  carry  his  rifle  with  him  at  all 
times,  whether  in  going  to  church  or  while  at  work.  The  instant  he 
discovered  the  red-men  he  caught  up  his  gun,  unfastened  his  horse, 
and  rode  at  full  speed  for  the  house,  where  were  his  wife,  nurse,  and 
eight  children,  the  youngest  of  whom  was  only  a  few  days  old.  He 
directed  all  the  older  children  to  leave  at  once  and  run  in  the  oppo 
site  direction  from  the  Indians.  They  scrambled  out  as  quickly  as 
they  could,  and  he  then  leaned  over  the  bed  to  lift  out  his  wife  and 
babe. 

"  No,"  said  his  wife,  gently  pushing  him  away,  "  I  am  unable  to 
go  with  you.  Leave  me,  and  save  the  children." 

It  was  a  fearful  moment,  but  the  distracted  father  had  no  choice. 


218 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xiv 


PERIOD  ii    He  sprang  upon  his  horse  again,  and  quickly  overtook  the  little  ones. 
COLONIZA-    The  Indians  were  close  at  hand,  and  he  levelled  his,  gun  at  them. 

*mms\-M    A  xrr* 

They  shrank  back,  but  he  did  not  fire.  He  knew  that  if  he  discharged 
the  weapon  they  would  rush  forward  before  he  could  reload  and  no 
doubt  kill  them.  By  threatening  them  in  this  manner,  he  kept  them 
at  a  distance  until  an  empty  house  was  reached,  when  they  turned 
away,  and  left  him  and  his  sorely  affrighted  children. 

Meanwhile,  the  Indians  had  rushed  into  the  home  of  Mr.  Dustin, 
where  they  saw  the  nurse  about  to  fly  with  the  infant,  while  the 


AND 

SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


MR.   DUSTIN    DEFENDING   HIS  CHILDREN 


mother  lay  in  bed  resignedly  awaiting  her  fate. 


The  savages  ordered 
did  that  which  until 


The 
Story  of   her  to  rise  ancj  moved  by  her  terror,  she  now 

riannan 

Dustin,    then  she  did  not  believe  herself  capable  of  doing ;  she  arose  and  pre- 
1697      pared  to  go  with  them  as  their  prisoner.     Before  she  was  dressed 
her  babe  was  taken  from  her  and  slain,  the  plundered  house  was  set 
on  fire,  and  she  was  compelled  to  accompany  her  cruel  captors. 

It  was  March,  and  the  weather  was  chilly  and  damp.  The  be 
reaved  mother  was  forced  to  walk  a  dozen  miles  a  day,  without  shoes 
upon  her  feet,  and  to  lie  down  in  the  woods  at  night,  with  no  cover 
ing  except  the  scant  garments  she  wore.  This  distressing  condition 
continued  day  after  day,  until  they  reached  a  small  island  in  the  Mer- 


CHAP,  xiv     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF   NEW   ENGLAND 


219 


rimac  River,  six  miles  above  Concord,  N.  H.,  which  since  that  time 
has  borne  the  name  of  Dustin  Island.  At  this  place  lived  the  chief, 
who  claimed  the  two  female  prisoners  as  his  property.  His  family 
consisted  of  two  men,  three  women,  seven  children,  and  a  white  boy 
who  had  been  a  captive  for  a  number  of  months. 

Mrs.  Dustin  and  the  nurse  were  treated  fairly  well  for  several  days, 
when  they  were  told  that  they  and  the  boy  were  to  be  taken  to  a  dis 
tant  village,  where  they  would  have  "  to  run  the  gauntlet."  In  this 
terrifying  ordeal,  the  prisoner  is  deprived  of  nearly  all  his  clothing^ 
and  compelled  to  pass  between  two  rows  of  Indians,  each  provided 
with  a  club,  knife,  hatchet,  or  other  weapon,  with  which  he  delivers 
such  blows  as  he  can,  while  the  captive  is  within  reach.  The  condi 
tions  generally  are  that  if  he  can  fight  his  way  to  the  end  of  the 
rows  of  tormentors  his  life  is  spared.  Instances  are  known  of  a 
prisoner's  survival,  but  the  tormentors  very  rarely  permit  such  a  con 
clusion  of  the  grim  pastime,  for  the  torture  of  a  prisoner  is  too  ex 
quisite  an  enjoyment  for  them  to  let  it  slip  when  it  is  once  within 
their  grasp. 

When  Mrs.  Dustin  and  her  companion  learned  of  the  decision  of 
their  captors  they  resolved  to  die  before  submitting  to  it.  They 
formed  a  plan  of  escape  and  made  a  confidant  of  the  boy,  who  prom 
ised  to  give  all  the  help  he  could.  He  was  asked  to  learn  from  one 
of  the  warriors  how  to  kill  a  human  being  with  a  single  blow,  and 
how  to  take  his  scalp.  The  boy  gained  this  information  without  ex 
citing  the  suspicion  of  his  captors,  and  then  carefully  explained  the 
method  to  the  two  women. 

While  it  was  yet  dark  on  the  following  morning  Mrs.  Dustin 
silently  awakened  the  nurse  and  lad,  and  all  three  secured  tomahawks 
without  arousing  their  captors.  Then  quickly  and  surely  were  the 
blows  dealt  until  it  was  certain  that  ten  of  the  sleepers  would  never 
awake  again.  A  squaw  opened  her  eyes  before  they  reached  her, 
and,  springing  to  her  feet,  with  her  babe  clasped  to  her  breast,  she 
dashed  off  to  the  woods,  and  escaped  the  fate  of  her  companions. 

With  wonderful  coolness  the  white  captives  secured  some  provi 
sions  from  the  lodge,  and  made  their  way  to  the  river-side,  where  lay 
a  number  of  canoes.  All  were  scuttled  save  one.  Before  embarking 
in  this,  Mrs.  Dustin,  recalling  the  manner  in  which  the  Indians  had 
slain  her  infant  and  maltreated  her,  led  her  companions  back  to  the 
lodge,  where  their  ten  victims  were  deprived  of  their  scalps.  Then 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


A  Grim 

Indian 

Pastime 


220  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xiv 

PERIOD  ii  the  three  entered  the  single  canoe,  and,  in  continual  peril,  floated 
dow/i  the  Merrimac  to  their  homes,  where  their  arrival  occasioned 
as  much  amazement  as  if  they  had  risen  from  the  dead. 

The  happiness  of  Mrs.  Dustin  was  complete,  when  she  found  her 
1758  husband  and  the  remainder  of  the  children  unharmed.  Her  story, 
becoming  known,  awoke  a  profound  interest  throughout  the  colonies. 
A  Worn-  Had  she  not  brought  away  the  ghastly  trophies,  in  the  shape  of  ten 
Heroism  scalps,  it  is  not  likely  that  one  person  in  a  hundred  would  have  be 
lieved  her  statement,  though  backed  by  the  nurse  and  little  boy. 
The  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  presented  the  three  with  fifty 
pounds  as  a  reward  for  their  heroism,  while  others  sent  them  valuable 
testimonials.  In  1874,  the  citizens  of  New  York  and  New  Hamp 
shire  erected  a  fine  monument  on  Dustin  Island  commemorative  of 
what  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  heroic  incidents  in  our  colonial 
history.  The  inscription  perpetuates  the  names  of  Hannah  Dustin, 
Mary  Neff,  and  Samuel  Leonardson. 

A  treaty  of  peace  between  England  and  France,  which  lasted  for 
the  next  five  years,  was  signed  in  1697,  at  Ryswick,  Holland,  and 
King  -William's  war  came  to  a  close.* 

*  The  war,  which  had  lasted  eight  years,  was  undertaken  by  England  under  William 
III.  ,  in  concert  with  the  "  Grand  Alliance  "  —  embracing  the  European  powers  of  Austria, 
Spain,  and  the  Netherlands.  It  had  for  its  object  the  repression  of  the  political  am 
bitions,  absolutism,  and  religious  intolerance  of  Louis  XIV.  of  France.  Its  chief 

.  incidents  in  the  Old  World  were,  on  the  one  side,  the  defeat  of  the  allied  arms  at  Stein- 
kirk,  in  1692  and  on  the  other,  the  annihilation,  in  the  same  year,  of  the  French  fleet 
off  La  Hogue;  with  its  pendant  issue  against  the  Stuart  cause,  in  1690,  in  King 
William's  victory  over  James  II.  at  the  Battle  of  the  Boyne.  The  strife  between 
England  and  France  in  the  New  World  was  due  less  to  European  complications  than  to 
the  French-Canadian  policy,  as  represented  by  the  able  and  vigorous  Count  Frontenac, 

-  of  seeking  to  win  over  the  Iroquois  to  the  French  cause,  and  keeping  the  members 
of  that  great  Indian  confederacy  from  taking  sides  with  the  English  colonists  on  the 
Hudson  and  the  New  England  seaboard.  Just  then,  the  Iroquois  were  showing  signs  of 
becoming  weary  of  the  long  struggle  between  the  two  dominant  white  races,  and  both 
were,  in  consequence,  anxious  to  court  so  formidable  an  ally  and  secure  jts  aid  in  the 
war.  The  result  was  inevitable,  since  the  French  availed  themselves  of  the  help  of  the 
Huron  Indians  in  their  attacks  on  the  Iroquois  cantons  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  as  well 
as  in  their  predatory  incursions  on  the  English  border  settlements.  The  barbarity  of 
these  attacks  so  incensed  the  colonists  that  recourse  was  had  to  the  expedition  against 
Quebec,  which,  however,  proved  abortive,  as  we  have  seen,  while  it  accomplished  little  in 
the  way  of  Indian  pacification.  On  the  death  of  Frontenac,  in  1698,  the  legacy  of 
Indian  strife  was  but  handed  on  to  his  successor  (De  Calliere)  and  the  later  French 
governors  in  Canada. 


SEAL 
OP  THE 
COUNCIL    OF  NEW  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTER    XV 
THE    COLONIAL   HISTORY  OF  NEW  ENGLAND 

(Continued} 

[Authorities:  The  present  chapter  deals  chiefly  with  the  witchcraft  delusion  in  New 
England,  and  the  fanatical  outbreak  at  Salem  in  1691-92.  Some  writers  associate  the 
unhappy  craze  with  the  austerities  of  Puritanism;  but  this  is  not  a  fair  diagnosis  of  the  mat 
ter,  since  magic  divinations  and  diabolical  in  cantations  were  common  practices  in  the  Old 
World  from  early  times,  and  the  trial  of  sorcerers,  for  "  fellowship  by  covenant  with  fami 
liar  spirits,"  was  very  frequent  in  England  during  the  seventeenth  century.  The  subject, 
beyond  the  scope  treated  of  in  the  following  chapter,  will  be  found  dealt  with  by  most  of 
the  writers  on  New  England  history.  See  especially,  also,  Upham's  "  Salem  Witchcraft."] 

|NE  day,  in  1688,  John  Goodwin's  daughter,  a  head 
strong  girl  about  a  dozen  years  old,  living  with 
her  father  in  Boston,  accused  their  Irish  servant 
of  stealing  some  of  the  family  linen.  The  mother 
of  the  servant  turned  upon  the  child,  and  scolded 
her  so  furiously  that  she  tumbled  down  in  a  fit, 
which  probably  was  only  pretended.  Her  brothers 
and  sisters  joined  her,  and  were  sometimes  deaf,  and  dumb,  and  blind; 
then  they  barked  like  dogs,  purred  like  cats,  and  indulged  in  all  sorts 
of  idiocy.  They  explained  these  antics  by  declaring  that  the  Irish 
woman  had  bewitched  them.  It  is  recorded  that  not  one  of  these 
children  lost  his  appetite  or  failed  to  sleep  with  his  usual  soundness, 
— facts  which  prove  that  the  performances  were  inspired  by  pure 
waywardness,  and  the  desire  to  be  revenged  upon  the  Irishwoman. 

Now,  at  the  period  about  which  we  are  writing,  and  indeed  for 
centuries  before,  nearly  every  one  believed  in  witchcraft.  It  is"  as 
tonishing,  to  learn  how  general  was  this  delusion  in  the  fifteenth, 
sixteenth,  and  seventeenth  centuries.  Those  that  were  drowned, 


The 
First 
Case  of 
"  WitclH 
craft " 
in  Mas 
sachu 
setts, 
1688 


Early 
General 
Belief  in 
Witch 
craft 


222  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xv 

PERIOD  ii  hanged,  or  burned  alive  for  the  crime  numbered  not  hundreds,  but 
tens  of  thousands.  During  the  sixteenth  century,  Germany  went 
mad  on  tne  subject  of  witchcraft.  It  is  estimated  that  for  the  whole 
1602  century  the  number  of  persons  burned  to  death  averaged  more  than 
1758  a  thousand  for  each  year,  reaching  an  appalling  total  of  over  a  hun 
dred  thousand.  Sir  Matthew  Hale,  eminent  as  one  of  the  greatest 
judges  of  England,  condemned  many  persons  to  death  for  witch 
craft.  When  the  Pilgrims  and  Puritans  crossed  the  Atlantic,  they 
brought  with  them  a  steadfast  belief  in  the  delusion,  and  passed  rigid 
laws  for  the  punishment  of  those  practising  it  or  suspected  of  practis 
ing  it.  The  records  show  that,  within  twenty  years  after  the  settle 
ment  of  Boston,  four  persons  were  executed  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  town  for  witchcraft. 

wP^0?        "^e  most  strenuous  believers  were  the  clergy.     Cotton  Mather,  who 

Agency    was  remarkable  for  his  ability,  and  the  leading  preacher  of  colonial 

Spread-    times>  did  more  than  any  single  man  to  spread  the  hideous  delusion 

ing  the    anci  bring  death  often  to  innocent  persons.     When  he  learned  of  the 

antics  of  the  Goodwin  children,  he  hastened  to  their  home,  for  the 

purpose  of  exorcising  or  casting  out  the  devil  by  means  of  prayer. 

He  succeeded  for  the  time,  and  with  the  help  of  several  ministers 

from  Boston,  and  a  clergyman  from  Salem,  one  of  the  children  was 

rescued,  as  it  was  thought,  from  the  power  of  Satan. 

But  it  was  established  in  the  minds  of  the  preachers  that  a  witch  was 
at  work,  which  could  be  no  other  than  Mother  Glover,  the  old  Irish 
woman.  She  was  charged  with  the  crime  and  brought  before  the  court, 
where  the  miserable  creature's  bewilderment  was  accepted  as  proof  of 
her  guilt.  She  was,  therefore,  sentenced  and  hanged  as  a  witch,  and 
Mather  and  his  associates  thanked  God  that  stern  justice  had  been  done. 
Mather  did  not  consider  his  duty  finished  when  Mother  Glover  was 
executed.  He  had  been  pained  by  the  evidence  of  a  tendency  towards 
independent  thought  among  the  people.  He  published  pamphlets 
upon  sorcery  and  witchcraft,  and  thundered  against  both  from  his 
pulpit.  When  several  attempted  to  explain  the  Goodwin  incident  on 
natural  grounds,  he  denounced  the  attempt  as  blasphemy.  He  de 
clared  that  he  had  thoroughly  looked  into  the  subject,  and  hence 
forward  would  consider  the  denial  of  witchcraft  as  a  personal  insult. 
Other  preachers  followed  in  the  horrible  path  he  had  chosen  for 
himself,  but  they  did  so  "from  afar,"  for  none  had  his  prodigious 
courage  and  self-assertion. 


CHAP,  xv     COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF    NEW   ENGLAND 


223 


The  young  daughter  of  John  Goodwin  possessed  the  artfulness  of  PERIOD  u 
an  imp.  The  stern  old  preacher  called  her  into  his  study,  and  she  COLONIZA 
shocked  him  by  falling  into  convulsions  when  he  knelt  in  prayer  or  SJJ2J£ 

1602 

TO 
1758 


THE  WITCHCRAFT    DELUSION—  SCENE  IN  COURT 


read  a  chapter  of  the  Bible;  but,  with  the  help  of  the  devil,  she  was 
able  quietly  to  peruse  the  abominable  "  Quaker  books,  the  Common 
Prayer,  and  Papist  books." 

While  the  public  mind  was  filled  with  the  terrifying  theme,  it  was 
wrought  to  a  still   higher  pitch   by  the  appearance  of  a  form  of  Danvers 


924  HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xr 

PERIOD  ii    epilepsy  in  Danvers,  a  section  of  Salem.     The  physicians  were  help- 
less,  and  hid  their  ignorance  by  ascribing  the  disease  to  witchcraft 
Samuel  Parris  took  charge  of  the  church  in  Salem  in   1689.     He 
came  from  Barbadoes,  and  in  the  winter  of  1691-92,  his  daughter  and 
1758       niece  invited  a  number  of  girls  to  a  party  at  their  house.     After  a 
time,  they  sought  to  amuse  themselves  by  trying  their  hands  at  the 
The      "  black  art."     They  kept  the  amusement  up  until  they  became  hys- 

tations    terical,  and  the  parents  were  alarmed.     The  doctor  was  cabled  in,  and 

Parris     t^ie  s°lemn  verdict  of  his  diagnosis  was  —  witchcraft. 

Family,  Once  more  it  was  necessary  to  produce  a  witch.  The  minister 
had  a  strong  dislike  of  a  woman  named  Sarah  Good,  and  he  sug 
gested  to  the  children  that  she  was  the  one  for  whom  they  were 
looking.  The  "  pointer"  was  eagerly  accepted,  and  Sarah  Good  was 
pronounced  guilty  and  hanged  !  Among  the  residents  of  Salem  was 
a  crabbed,  ill-natured  man,  fourscore  years  old,  named  Giles  Corey. 
He  was  afflicted  with  a  violent  temper,  and  had  been  tried  and  ac 
quitted  of  several  charges.  After  a  time,  some  one  accused  him  of 
witchcraft,  and  he  was  brought  to  trial.  The  stubborn  old  fellow 
refused  to  open  his  mouth  during  the  proceedings,  hoping  thereby  to 
escape  conviction  and  save  his  estate  from  forfeiture.  Hanging  was 
considered  too  good  for  him,  and  he  suffered  the  awful  punishment  of 
death  by  squeezing  —  the  first  and  last  time,  so  far  as  is  known,  that 
that  penalty  was  inflicted  in  this  country. 
Governor  Sir  William  Phips  was  governor  of  Massachusetts  at  this  period. 

Tool  in    None  was  more  superstitious  than  he,  and  he  became  a  tool  in   the 
the  hands  hands  of  the  credulous,  though  pious,  Cotton  Mather.     He  organized 

Mather  a  court  for  the  trial  of  those  accused  of  witchcraft,  with  Stoughton 
as  chief  judge,  and  Saltonstall  and  Sewall  as  assistants.  The  first 
case  upon  which  they  were  called  to  pass  judgment  was  that  of  an 
old  woman  named  Bridget  Bishop,  who  was  promptly  convicted  and 
hanged,  though  she  declared  her  innocence  to  the  last. 

A  dispute  arose  between  the  Endicott  family  and  Francis  Nourse, 
who  lived  upon  the  Endicott  farm.  The  dispute  waxed  "bitter,  and 
each  side  had  its  sympathizers.  One  day  several  of  the  Endicott 
children  began  rolling  about  in  fits,  and  accused  Mrs.  Nourse  of  hav 
ing  bewitched  them.  She  was  one  of  the  gentlest  of  women,  loved 
and  honored  by  her  friends.  But  all  this  availed  her  naught,  though 
her  modest  demeanor  and  Christian  deportment  so  impressed  the 
jury  that  they  pronounced  her  innocent.  The  indignant  judges, 


436  HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  x? 

however,  sent  out  the  jury  again  and  again,  and  forced  them  to  declare 
C«X>NIZA-   her  guilty.     She  was  hanged  on  Witch  Hill,  and  her  body  flung  into 


the  pit  where  lay  the  other  dishonored  victims. 


TION  AND 

SETTLE 
MENT 

1602          By  this  time  Salem  had  gone  insane,  and  the  people  of  the  com- 

1758      nwnity  seemed  to  lose  their  heads.     A  disgusted  constable  refused 

to  arrest  an  accused  lady,  who  he  knew  was  innocent,  whereupon  he 

Spread    himself  was  charged   with   witchcraft,  found  guilty  and   executed. 

Delusion  If  a  person  were  accused  and  brought  to  trial,  he  was  allowed  to 
save  his  life  by  confessing.  Scores  availed  themselves  of  this  priv 
ilege.  Others,  whose  conscience  would  not  permit  them  to  lie, 
bravely  met  their  death  in  consequence.  A  little  girl  made  charges 
against  her  grandfather,  who  was  thereupon  brought  to  trial.  She 
then  took  back  what  she  had  said,  declaring  that  there  was  not  a  word 
of  truth  in  her  accusation.  Inasmuch  as  she  must  have  told  a  false 
hood  in  one  case  or  the  other,  she  was  punished  by  being  put  in 
prison,  she  and  her  parents  narrowly  escaping  hanging.  As  for  the 
grandfather,  he  was  denied  the  benefit  of  doubt,  and  hanged.  In  one 
case,  a  dog  belonging  to  a  wizard  behaved  so  oddly  that  he  fell  under 
suspicion,  and  was  executed  side  by  side  with  his  master. 

th^R0*        Reverend    Stephen    Burrows   had  had  charge  of  the  Church  of 
erend      Salem,  and  was  in  many  respects  a  remarkable  man.     Aside  from 

Borrows  n*s  devoutly  religious  character,  he  possessed  a  fine  physique,  with 
the  strength  of  a  Hercules.  Sometimes,  to  amuse  his  friends,  he 
performed  exploits  which  filled  them  with  wonder,  for  no  one  could 
equal  them.  Preacher  Parris,  when  he  learned  of  the  loving  re 
membrance  in  which  his  parishioners  held  Burrows,  was  filled  with 
envy.  Mr.  Burrows  had  removed  to  the  village  of  Wells,  in  Maine,, 
where  he  was  greatly  esteemed  by  his  flock.  Parris,  in  his  hatred  of 
the  good  man,  charged  him  with  witchcraft,  asserting  that  no  human 
being  could  perform  such  feats  of  strength  without  Satanic  agency. 
One  day,  the  genial  giant,  away  off  in  his  happy  home  in  Maine,, 
received  a  summons  to  come  to  Salem,  to  stand  trial  on  the  charge 
of  witchcraft.  He  laughed  at  the  matter,  but,  kissing  his  wife  and 
little  ones  good-by,  set  out  for  the  distant  town  which  had  parted 
with  its  senses.  That  loving  family  never  saw  him  again.  The 
minister  was  convicted,  and  sentenced  to  be  hanged.  At  the  foot 
of  the  gallows  he  declared  his  innocence  in  so  touching  a  speech 
that  nearly  every  one  was  moved  to  tears.  In  his  prayer,  he  besought 
mercy  for  his  enemies,  and  so  melted  the  hearts  of  his  hearers  that 


CHAP,  xv     COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF    NEW   ENGLAND  227 

assuredly  he  would  have  been  rescued  but  for  Cotton  Mather,  who    PERIOD  n 
rode  back  and  forth  through  the  crowd,  reminding  the  people  that 
Satan  himself  sometimes  put  on  the  guise  of  an  angel  of  light.     No 
persecutors,  it  is  sad  to  say,  were  more  cruel  than  the  clergy.  l6°2 

This  shocking  revelry  of  death  could  not  go  on  forever.  Judge  '758 
Saltonstall  became  disgusted  and  left  the  bench,  but  the  iron-hearted 
Sewall  never  flinched,  and  kept  up  the  travesty  of  justice  to  the  end. 
Increase  Mather,  president  of  Harvard  College,  and  father  of 
Cotton  Mather,  protested.  So  did  other  leading  clergymen.  A 
prominent  merchant  declared  that  many  cases  were  due  to  delirium 
tremens,  and  more  than  one  thoughtful  person  began  to  ask  himself 
whether  a  series  of  woful  blunders  had  not  been  committed. 

That  which  had  most  to  do  with  bringing  persons  to  their  senses    Extent 
was  the  startling  discovery  that  no  person  was  safe  against  execution  Delusion 
as  a  witch  or  wizard.     There  was  no  saying  where  the  lightning 
would  next  strike.     By  the  end  of  September,  1692,  twenty  persons 
had   been  put  to  death,  fifty-five  had  been  terrorized  into  making 
false  confessions,  a  hundred  and  fifty  lay  in  prison  awaiting  trial, 
and  two  hundred  more  were  under  accusation. 

The  wife  of  Governor  Phips,  one  of  the  best  of  women,  was  ac 
cused;  ex-Governor  Bradstreet's  two  sons  (the  governor  never  be 
lieved  in  witchcraft),  saved  their  lives  by  flight,  and  close  relatives 
of  the  Mathers  were  imprisoned  on  the  same  charges.     A  gentleman 
in  Andover  was  accused  by  an  enemy  of  witchcraft,  whereupon  he 
immediately  caused  the  arrest  of  the  man  for  defamation  of  character, 
and  sued  him  for  heavy  damages.     This  vigorous  retort  pricked  the     End  of 
bubble,  and  cleared  away  the  mist  from  people's  eyes.     Governor     lusion, 
Phips  ordered  the  release  of  all  persons  under  charge  of  witchcraft,       l693 
and  the  legislature  of  Massachusetts  appointed  a  day  for  general  fast 
and  supplication,  "  that  God  would  pardon  all  the  errors  of  His  ser 
vants  and  people  in  a  late  tragedy  raised  among  us  by  Satan  and  his 
instruments." 

Parris,  one  of  the  most  malignant  of  prosecutors,  made  hum 
ble  confession  of  the  fearful  wrongs  he  had  committed ;  but  the 
anger  against  him  was  so  deep  that  he  was  obliged  to  leave  Salem. 
Judge  Stoughton  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  seclusion,  sour, 
morose,  and  remorseful,  but  claiming  that  he  had  been  conscientious 
in  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  Judge  Sewall,  pale,  and  trembling 
with  emotion,  arose  in  the  Old  South  Church  in  Boston  and  read  a 


«28  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xv 

FMUQPII    recantation,  and  once  every  year  locked  himself  in   his  room,  and 
Passed  tne  hours  in  prayer  and  fasting  as  a  penance  for  the  dreadful 
error  he  had  committed. 
1602  jn  j6Q2,  the  Salem  jurors  published  a  humble  confession  of  guilt, 

1758  which  concluded  with  these  words  :  "  We  do  heartily  ask  forgiveness 
Judgc^  of  you  all  whom  we  have  justly  offended,  and  do  declare,  according  to 
Recan-  our  present  minds,  we  would  none  of  us  do  such  things  again  for  the 
whole  world ;  praying  you  to  accept  of  this  in  way  of  satisfaction  for 
our  offence,  and  that  you  would  bless  the  inheritance  of  the  Lord,  that 
He  may  be  entreated  for  the  land." 

It  is  difficult  to  reconcile  Cotton  Mather's  well-known  philanthro 
py  with  his  attitude  towards  the  victims  of  the  witchcraft  delusion, 
save  on  the  ground  that  credulity  and  a  fanatical  religious  zeal  were 
essential  products  of  his  age.  This  is  emphasized  by  the  collection 
of  incidents  regarding  the  craze,  and  by  the  austere  comments 
upon  them,  which  are  to  be  found  in  the  works  he  published,  in  1689- 
1693,  on  "  Memorable  Providences  relating  to  Witchcraft  and  Posses- 
sions,"and,  "The  Wonders  of  the  Invisible  World;  being  an  account 
of  the  trials  of  several  witches  lately  executed  in  New  England,  and 
of  several  remarkable  curiosities  therein  occurring."  Unhappy  as 
was  his  influence  at  the  period  on  the  witchcraft  victims,  the  purity 
of  his  motives  is  unquestioned,  while  his  life  otherwise  was  most 
exemplary  and  useful.* 

*  The  delusion  in  New  England  connected  with  witchcraft,  in  the  latter  half  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  of  which  an  account  has  been  given  in  these  pages,  was  not  a 
merely  local  disorder,  though  under  the  gloomy  fanaticism  which  from  the  first  prevailed 
in  the  Massachusetts  colony  it  for  a  time  took  on  an  acute  form  of  the  malady  in  the 
persecutions  at  Salem.  It  is  difficult  to-day,  as  has  been  said,  to  account  for  the  preva 
lence  of  the  craze,  and  for  the  form  and  extent  of  the  delusion,  save  as  the  outcome  of  an 
epidemic  of  superstitious  fear,  born  of  a  period  of  mental  bondage  to  tyrannous  clerical 
authority,  backed  by  inquisitorial  torture  and  judicial  outrage.  Like  the  insanitary 
conditions  of  life  at  the  period,  it  was  the  product  of  medievalism,  and  it  disappeared  only 
with  the  dawn  of  a  new  and  better  day.  In  the  Old  World,  the  superstition  was  more 
rank  and  widespread  than  in  the  New,  while  the  loss  of  life  due  to  the  fanatical  perse 
cutions  was  appalling.  Here  and  there,  a  solitary  voice  was  raised  to  protest  against 
the  cruelties  which  belief  in  witchcraft  engendered;  but  it  was  as  a  cry  in  the  wilderness, 
so  deep-rooted  and  panic-fed  was  public  belief  in  human  intercourse  with  Satan.  With 
the  dawn  of  the  eighteenth  century  a  more  enlightened  view  began  happily  to  prevail, 
and  the  mists  of  superstition  in  time  were  dissipated.  The  reader  who  is  curtous  to  look 
further  into  the  matter  will  find  a  luminous  chapter  on  the  subject  in  Lecky's  "  Rise  and 
Influence  of  the  Spirit  of  Rationalism  in  Europe." 


CHAPTER    XVI. 
THE   COLONIAL    HISTORY  OF  NEW  ENGLAND 

(Concluded'} 

\Authorities:  For  the  fuller  histories  of  Queen  Anne's  war  (1702-1713),  and  of  King 
George's  war  (1744-1748) ,  with  the  details  of  the  border  fighting  between  the  French  on 
the  St.  Lawrence  and  the  English  colonists  on  the  seaboard,  see  the  general  histories  of 
the  United  States,  the  local  histories  of  New  England,  and  the  English  text-books  on  the 
"  European  Colonies  in  America."  Both  of  these  wars  were  marked  by  the  continu 
ance  of  hostilities  between  New  France  and  New  England,  the  struggle  being  embittered 
by  Indian  atrocity,  as  well  as  by  the  efforts  of  both  France  and  England  to  wrest  from 
each  other  dominion  in  the  New  World.  The  earlier  conflict  witnessed  the  capture  of 
Port  Royal,  in  1710,  by  New  England  troops,  and  Hovenden  Walker's  fruitless  invasion 
of  Canada.  The  latter  conflict  witnessed  the  taking  of  Louisbourg,  in  1745,  by  Massa 
chusetts  volunteers,  only  to  see  that  stronghold  in  Cape  Breton,  which  guarded  the  marine 
highway  to  New  France,  revert  again  to  French  rule  with  the  peace  of  Aix-la-Chapelle. 
The  main  incidents  in  both  of  these  periods  of  international  embroilment  will  be  found  nar 
rated  in  the  present  chapter.  The  dual  race-strife  on  this  continent  was  soon  now  to 
end  in  the  events  which  took  place  in  the  Ohio  Valley,  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Champlain, 
and  on  the  heights  above  Quebec.] 

|HE  peace  which  followed  the  treaty  of  Ryswick,  as 
we  have  already  said,  did  not  last  long.  Charles 
II.  of  Spain  died  in  1700,  naming  Philip  of  Anjou, 
grandson  of  Louis  XIV.,  as  his  successor.  This 
caused  jealous  alarm  among  the  other  nations,  who 
feared  that  a  union  of  the  crowns  of  France  and 
,f  Spain  would  follow.  If  so,  those  two  nations  to 
gether  would  gain  a  dangerous  predominance  in  Europe.  England, 
Holland,  and  Austria  formed  a  league,  whi.ch  made  Archduke  Charles 
of  Austria  its  candidate  for  the  throne  of  Spain.  He  could  be 
placed  on  the  throne,  however,  only  by  force.  So  the  three  nations 
named  declared  war  against  France  for  supporting  the  cause  of  Philip 


Political 
Disturb* 
ances  in 
Europe 


230 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xvi 


PERIOD  ii 


TION  AND 

SETTLE- 
1602 
1758 


ueen 


ihe  War 

Spanish 

8" 


«7°2- 
1713 


Attack 


Mass., 


of  Anjou,  who  however  succeeded  to  the  Spanish  throne,  as  Philip  V. 
His  succession  led  to  the  founding  of  the  House  of  Bourbon  in  Spain. 

England  had  at  this  time  another  grievance  against  France. 
James  II.,  the  exiled  king,  died  in  that  country,  in  September,  17.01, 
and  Louis  recognized  his  son  as  the  rightful  sovereign  of  England. 
This  son  was  James  Francis  Edward,  and  is  known  in  history  as 
"  The  Pretender."  This  act  of  Louis  gave  England  great  offence, 
for  the  crown  had  already  been  settled  upon  Anne,  who  was  a  Prot 
estant,  and  the  second  daughter  of  James  II. 

King  William  was  so  incensed  that  he  made  immediate  prepara- 
tions  f  °r  war  5  but  a  fall  from  his  horse  caused  his  death,  and  Anne 
then  came  to  the  throne.  She  carried  out  the  policy  of  William  by 
declaring  war  against  France  in  1702.  The  war  lasted  eleven  years, 
anc*  *s  known  in  our  history  as  Queen  Anne's  war,  though  it  is  some 
times  more  properly  referred  to  as  the  War  of  the  Spanish  Succes 
sion.  In  the  hostilities  which  followed,  the  New  England  settle 
ments  were  again  involved,  and  suffered  greatly  from  the  Indians 
The  Iroquois,  or  Five  Nations,  made  a  treaty  of  neutrality  with  the 
French  and  English,  and  the  Indians  of  Maine  did  likewise,  though 
the  latter,  however,  were  persuaded  to  break  their  pledge.  The 
English  were  satisfied  that  this  treachery  was  due  to  the  intrigues  of 
the  French  Jesuits,  against  whom  their  resentment  was  kindled. 
The  Indians  assailed  the  frontier  towns  of  Massachusetts  and  New 
Hampshire,  committing  the  most  terrible  outrages,  and  sparing  no 
one.  The  hostility  against  the  Jesuits  had  become  so  strong  in  New 
York  and  Massachusetts  that  those  provinces  passed  laws  for  their 
expulsion;  but  they  had  already  obtained  such  a  hold  upon  the 
Indians  that  it  could  not  readily  be  loosened.  The  savages  plunged 
into  murder,  with  its  accompanying  acts  of  torture  and  outrage,  with 
the  ardor  of  fanatics. 

In  the  winter  of  1703-4,  a  band  of  Indians  came  down  from  Can- 
ac*a  on  snowshoes,  and  attacked  the  little  town  of  Deerfield,  Massa- 
chusetts.  The  snow  lay  several  feet  deep,  and  the  crust  was  so  hard 
that  the  fierce  hordes  walked  over  the  palisades  in  the  darkness  as  if 
they  did  not  exist,  and  were  upon  the  defenceless  people  before  they 
dreamed  of  danger.  Down  to  the  year  1  848,  a  large  building  was 
standing  in  Deerfield  which  was  known  as  the  "  Indian  House." 
This  strong'structure  held  out  for  a  time,  but  the  Indians  chopped 
an  opening  in  the  massive  door  with  their  tomahawks,  and,  thrusting 


CHAP,  xvi     COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF   NEW   ENGLAND 


231 


TION   AN» 

SETTLB- 


a  musket  through,  discharged  it.  The  bullet  killed  a  woman  in  the  PERIOD  n 
act  of  rising  from  her  bed.  The  door,  the  bullet,  and  many  other 
interesting  relics  may  be  seen  to-day  in  the  Deerfield  museum. 
The  "  Indian  House"  was  used  by  the  captors  as  headquarters,  and 
as  a  rendezvous  for  the  marauders  with  their  prisoners,  and  every 
other  building,  except  the  chapel,  was  laid  in  ruins.  Forty  people 
were  killed,  and  more  than  a  hundred  carried  off  captives  to  Canada. 


1602 


ATTACK    ON    DEERFIELD 


One  of  the  touching  incidents  connected  with  the  raid  upon 
Deerfield  was  the  experience  of  the  family  of  the  Rev.  John  Williams, 
the  village  pastor.  A  servant  and  two. of  his  children  were  slain  on 
their  own  threshold,  and  he  and  his  wife  and  five  remaining  children 
set  out  on  their  trying  journey  to  Canada.  The  wife  became  so  worn 
out  on  the  way  that,  to  end  the  bother,  one  of  the  Indians  brained  her 
with  his  tomahawk.  The  remainder  of  the  family  were  held  captives 
in  Canada  for  two  years,  when  they  were  ransomed  by  their  friends 
and  allowed  to  return  home. 


The 

Familyof 
Rev.  Mr, 
Williams 


232 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xvi 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 

SETTLE 
MENT 
I6O2 
TO 

1758 


Capture 

of  Port 

Royal, 

N.  S., 

1710 

Failure 

of  the 

Attempt 

to  Invade 

Canada, 

1711 


The  Indians,  it  seems,  however,  had  become  so  attached  to  a  little 
daughter  of  the  clergyman,  ten  years  old,  that  they  would  not  part 
with  her.  In  time,  she  formed  an  affection  for  her  captors,  and, 
when  she  grew  to  womanhood,  married  one  of  the  warriors.  Prob 
ably,  a  longing  to  see  the  home  of  her  childhood  led  her,  when  she 
was  the  mother  of  several  children,  to  visit  Deerfield.  As  may  well 
be  imagined,  her  coming  caused  a  stir  in  the  little  town,  and  elic 
ited  profound  emotion  among  her  relatives.  Of  course,  all  thought 
that  she  had  returned  to  spend  the  remainder  of  her  days  with  them, 
but  when  questioned  on  the  point  she  shook  her  head. 

"  I  am  an  Indian,"  she  gently  replied;  "  I  love  my  folk  and  my 
own  race,  but  I  love  my  husband  and  my  children  more.  With  them 
I  shall  live  and  die."  So  she  returned  to  Canada,  and  was  seen  no 
more  by  those  who  would  have  been  glad  to  detain  her.  It  is  said 
that  the  charming  story  of  Fenimore  Cooper,  "  The  Wept  of  Wish- 
ton- Wish,"  was  founded  on  this  incident. 

The  experience  of  Deerfield  may  be  taken  as  a  type  of  what  befell 
many  other  settlements  in  Maine  and  New  Hampshire.  The  cruel 
ties  became  so  great  that  New  England,  in  1707,  determined  upon  an 
aggressive  campaign.  Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire,  and  Rhode 
Island,  therefore,  fitted  out  an  expedition  for  the  invasion  of  Canada. 
A  thousand  men,  commanded  by  Colonel  Marsh,  sailed  from  Nan- 
tucket.  They  proceeded  under  the  convoy  of  a  British  man-of-war, 
and  their  object  was  the  capture  of  Acadia,  now  better  known  as  the 
Nova  Scotian  peninsula.  Arriving  at  Port  Royal,  in  the  Bay  of 
Fundy,  they  found  the  French  fully  prepared,  and  were  obliged  to 
abandon  the  enterprise.  Three  years  later,  another  expedition  was 
sent  out  by  New  England,  New  York,  and  New  Jersey.  It  sailed 
from  Boston,  with  the  British  fleet  of  thirty-six  vessels.  Port  Royal 
surrendered,  October  I3th,  and  its  name  was  changed  to  Annapolis, 
in  compliment  to  Queen  Anne. 

This  not  very  brilliant  success  occasioned  a  more  formidable  at 
tempt  to  invade  Canada.  In  June,  1711,  fifteen  ships-of-war,  forty 
transports,  and  six  storeships,  under  Admiral  Sir  Hovenden  Walker, 
arrived  in  the  port  of  Boston.  New  England  lost  no  time  in  raising 
an  additional  force,  while  another  army  was  raised  for  the  capture 
of  Montreal.  The  expedition,  under  command  of  Admiral  W7alker, 
numbered  seven  thousand  men,  but  the  incompetency  of  that  leader 
led  to  the  loss  of  eight  vessels,  one  thousand  men,  and  finally  the 


CHAP,  xvi     COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF   NEW   ENGLAND  235 

abandonment  of  the  enterprise.     The  land  forces  learned  of  the  dis-    PMUQ»  11 
aster  to  the  fleet  before  they  had  advanced  far  enough  to  strike  a 
blow,  and  they  also  went  back  to  their  homes. 

For  some  time  negotiations  looking  to  peace  had  been  going  on.       I6°* 
These  were  concluded  at  Utrecht  (u'trekt),  Holland,  March  13,  1713.       *75* 
By  the  terms  of  the  treaty,  the  fisheries  of  Newfoundland  passed 
under  the  control  of  England,  to  which  country  also  were  ceded 
Labrador,  Hudson  Bay,  and  Acadia  or  Nova  Scotia. 

Peace  was  now  undisturbed  for  thirty-one  years.  Charles  VI.  of 
Austria  died  in  1740,  and  in  the  strife  over  the  succession  the  prin 
cipal  European  nations  became  involved.  It  followed  naturally  that 
in  the  new  complications  France  and  England  found  themselves  ar 
rayed  against  each  other.  This  war,  which  lasted  from  1744  to  King  ^ 
1748,  is  known  in  our  history  as  King  George's  war  (because  * 

George  II.  was  then  king  of  England),  and  in  Europe  as  the  War 
of  the  Austrian  Succession. 

It  so  happened  that  the  French  colonists  learned  of  the  breaking 
out  of  war  before  it  was  known  to  the  subjects  of  the  English  crown. 
The  French  decided  to  "  take  time  by  the  forelock,"  and  promptly 
moved  against  Nova  Scotia.  The  island  of  Canso  was  seized  without 
resistance,  the  fort  and  dwellings  burned,  and  the  garrison  made 
prisoners.  Some  months  afterwards,  the  latter  were  paroled  and  sent 
to  Boston.  The  information  which  they  took  home  led  to  the  remark 
able  campaign  against  Louisbourg.  This  fortress  was  well  called 
"  The  Dunkirk  of  America."  It  inclosed  the  principal  town  of  Cape 
Breton  in  massive  and  elaborate  fortifications.  So  extensive  indeed 
were  they,  that  to  walk  around  the  ramparts,  one  would  have  to 
travel  more  than  two  miles.  France  expended  six  million  dollars, 
and  was  engaged  twenty-five  years,  in  erecting  the  fortress  and  other 
formidable  defences  of  Louisbourg. 

It  would  seem  that  the  attempt  to  capture  this  almost  impregnable 
French  stronghold  was  folly,  and  yet  there  was  more  than  one  reason 
which  led  Governor  Shirley,  of  Massachusetts,  to  believe  that  it  could 
be  done.  The  French  general  in  command  was  known  to  be  old  and 
of  little  capacity;  the  garrison  stores  were  nearly  exhausted;  and 
the  men  were  in  a  state  of  dissatisfaction  bordering  on  mutiny. 
The  Massachusetts  legislature  declared  against  the  project;  but 
Governor  Shirley  would  not  abandon  it.  He  was  not  only  a  states 
man,  but  an  able  soldier,  and  his  enthusiastic  ardor  finally  brough' 


234  HISTORY    OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xvi 

PERIOD  ii    the  legislature  around  and  secured  the  help  of  other  colonies,  as  well 
as  the  countenance  and  aid  of  England.    His  own  province  furnished 

x 

three  thousand  equipped  soldiers ;  Connecticut,  five  hundred  and  six- 
1602       teen  j  New  Hampshire,  three  hundred  and  four ;  and  Rhode  Island, 
1758       three  hundred.     The  latter,  however,  sailed  too  late  to  take  part  in 
the  siege.     Commodore  Warren,  with  a  fleet  from  the  West  Indies, 
joined  the  expedition  at  Canso. 

The  New  England  troops  sailed  from  Boston  in  April,  17^5,  under 
command  of  William  Pepperell,  a  wealthy  merchant  of  Kittery,  Maine, 
who  was  afterwards  made  a  baronet  for  his  services.     Roger" Wolcott, 
lieutenant-governor  of  Connecticut,  was   second  in  command.     This 
force  landed,  May  nth,  in  Gabarus  Bay,  on  the  east  coast  of  Cape 
Breton.     The  appearance  of  so  imposing  an  array  caused  consternation 
Siege     jn  Louisbourg,  whose  garrison  was  surprised  and  intimidated.     The 
Capture    alarm-bells  were  rung,  and  cannon  fired  to  warn  the  people  on  the 
hour*8"  island  °f    their  danger.     A   detachment    of    four  hundred    troops 
»745      promptly  moved  against  the  royal  battery,  burning  all  the  buildings' 
within  reach.     The  French    gunners    spiked    their  cannon  and  re 
treated,  the  battery  immediately  falling  into  the  possession  of  the 
New  Englanders,  who  unspiked  and  afterwards  made  excellent  use  of 
the  guns. 

The  task  before  the  besiegers  seemed  well-nigh  impossible  of 
accomplishment.  The  solid  stone  walls  of  the  fortress  were  forty 
feet  thick  at  the  base  and  thirty  feet  high,  while  the  surrounding 
ditch,  filled  with  water,  was  eighty  feet  wide.  Mounted  on  the  walls 
were  more  than  a  hundred  cannon  and  eighty  swivels  and  mortars. 
The  artillery  on  the  bastions  swept  all  the  approaches  to  the  walls ; 
the  garrison  numbered  sixteen  hundred  men.  Of  heavy  artillery, 
the  besiegers  had  only  eighteen  cannon  and  three  mortars.  The 
siege  guns  were  placed  on  sleds,  and  with  great  labor  dragged 
across  a  yielding  swamp.  The  spirits  of  all  were  soon  heightened, 
however,  by  the  capture,  by  Commodore  Warren,  of  a  French  ship 
of  seventy-four  guns,  and  an  immense  quantity  of  military  stores, 
together  with  five  hundred  and  sixty  men.  Reinforcements,  more 
over,  continued  to  arrive,  to  add  to  the  encouraging  prospects. 

The  ardor  of  the  assailants  could  not  be  quenched.  They  were 
stirred  by  patriotism  and  by  a  deep  religious  fervor,  and  saw  the  hand 
of  God  in  everything  that  took  place.  George  Whitefield,  the  fa 
mous  Methodist  preacher,  gave  to  the  New  Hampshire  troops  the 


236 


HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xvi 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


motto  which  they  inscribed  on  their  banners — Nil  desperandutn 
Christo  duce — "  Never  despair,  Christ  being  the  leader ;  "  thus  mak 
ing  the  enterprise,  as  it  has  been  termed,  a  sort  of  Puritan  crusade. 

Learning  of  the  probable  arrival  of  French  ships  with  reinforce 
ments,  a  combined  attack  was  made  by  the  land  and  naval  forces  on 
June  I /th.  Governor  Duchambon  (du-sham'bon),  the  French  com 
mander,  seeing  that  defeat  was  certain,  asked  Pepperell  for  terms  of 
capitulation.  These  were  so  generous  that  they  were  instantly  ac 
cepted,  and  Pepperell  marched  into  the  fortress  at  the  head  of  his 
volunteers,  Shirley  following  and  receiving  the  keys  of  the  fort/* 

The  news  of  the  capture  of  Louisbourg,  with  its  vast  military  stores, 
caused  great  rejoicing  throughout  the  colonies.  Thousands  of  bon 
fires  were  kindled  and  bells  set  ringing,  while  the  clergy  declared  that 
the  interposition  was  a  direct  one,  on  the  part  of  Heaven,  in  their 
favor.  England  was  delighted  at  the  victory ;  while  France,  on  the 
contrary,  was  so  humiliated  that,  for  a  time,  she  could  scarcely  credit 
the  astounding  news.  Then  she  roused  herself  to  strike  a  crushing 
blow  in  return.  She  determined  not  only  to  recover  the  lost  for 
tress,  but  to  desr^ate  the  English  settlements  from  Maine  to  Florida. 
For  this  purpose,  an  immense  and  fully  equipped  fleet  was  sent  to 
Cape  Breton,  under  command  of  the  Duke  d' Anville.  A  great  storm, 
however,  dispersed  and  wrecked  several  of  the  vessels,  and  hundreds 
of  men  died  from  disease.  Before  the  question  of  attack  was  settled, 
the  commander  himself  died  so  suddenly  that  many  believed  he  had 
committed  suicide.  His  successor  was  so  mortified  at  the  miscar- 

*  This  remarkable  and  spirited  enterprise,  .on  the  part  of  the  New  England  colonists, 
has  hardly  received  at  the  hands  of  historians  the  meed  of  honor  which  it  so  richly  de 
serves.  Undesignedly,  perhaps,  the  glory  of  the  first  expedition  against  the  great  French 
stronghold  has  been  eclipsed  by  that  of  the  second,  probably,  for  the  reason  that  the 
siege  and  capture  of  Louisbourg  by  Boscawen  and  Wolfe,  thirteen  years  later,  was  more 
decisive  in  its  results.  This  fact  in  no  way,  however,  detracts  from  the  importance  of 
the  achievement  under  Shirley  and  Pepperell,  in  bringing  about  the  capitulation,  by  a 
force  of  4,000  raw  and  inexperienced  New  England  militia,  aided  by  the  British  West 
Indian  fleet,  of  so  impregnable  a  fortress,  garrisoned  by  nearly  23,000  French  soldiery, 
including  750  veterans  of  the  empire,  and  supported  by  a  large  force  of  marines  and  sea 
men,  which  manned  the  French  shipping  in  the  harbor.  Well  might  the  historian  Smol 
lett  designate  the  capture  of  Louisbourg  "  the  most  important  achievement  of  the  war  of 
1745."  To-day  desolation  marks  the  site  of  the  once  formidable  stronghold.  "  If  you  ever 
visit  Louisbourg,"  says  a  local  writer,  "  you  will  observe  a  patch  of  greensward  on  Point 
Rochfort — the  site  of  the  old  burying-ground.  Beneath  it  lie  the  ashes  of  hundreds  of 
brave  New  Englanders.  No  monument  marks  the  sacred  spot ;  but  the  waves  of  the  rest 
less  ocean,  in  calm  or  storm,  sing  an  everlasting  requiem  over  the  graves  of  the  departed 
heroes-" 


CHAP,  xvi     COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF   NEW   ENGLAND 


237 


riage  of  the  design  that  he  killed  himself.  Again  the  New  Eng- 
landers  saw  the  arm  of  God  stretched  forth  in  their  behalf,  and  fervent 
thanks,  therefore,  went  up  from  every  corner  of  the  land. 

In  the  course  of  the  following  year,  there  were  omens  of  peace 
which  caused  a  lull  in  military  operations.  In  October,  1748,  the 
treaty  signed  at  Aix-la-Chapelle  (aiks'-lak-sha-pell")  brought  King 
George's  war  to  an  end ;  but  the  termination  was  anything  but  satis 
factory  to  the  New  Englanders,  for  the  terms  required  the  restoration 
of  all  property  and  territory  that  had  been  captured.  Thus  Cape 
Breton  and  the  fortress  of  Louisbourg  passed  once  more  into  the  pos 
session  of  France,  and  the  valor  of  the  colonial  troops  was  deprived 
of  all  reward. 

The  action  of  England  following  upon  the  victory  sowed  the  seeds 
of  discontent,  which  bore  their  fruitage  a  quarter  of  a  century  later. 
Every  penny  of  the  prize-money,  amounting  to  three  million  dollars, 
was  distributed  among  Commodore  Warren's  fleet,  and  when  the 
troops  were  disbanded  at  Louisbourg,  Governor  Shirley  had  to  send 
the  funds  to  bring  them  home.  The  colonies  demanded  payment 
from  the  mother  country  for  the  heavy  expenses  to  which  they  had 
been  subjected,  and  England  reluctantly  gave  them  a  million  dollars. 

The  reader  has  now  been  apprised  of  the  principal  events  in  the  his 
tory  of  the  New  England  colonies  down  to  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  It  may  be  said  that  Massachusetts  for  a  time  was  New 
England,  as  Virginia  was  the  South.  Through  trial,  hardship,  fam 
ine,  suffering,  and  war,  the  sturdy  Puritan  province  of  Massachusetts 
and  the  Independent  settlement — the  first  in  New  England — of 
Plymouth  steadily  advanced  in  population,  wealth,  and  prosperity. 
The  weak  colonies  of  Maine  and  New  Hampshire  were  taken  under 
her  protection ;  while  she  sent  emigrants  (sometimes  forcibly)  to 
build  up  the  adjoining  provinces.  Massachusetts  had  become  a 
great  and  powerful  commonwealth,  whose  advancement  in  commerce, 
in  trade,  in  war,  and  in  thought  and  education,  led  her,  like  a  young 
giant,  to  feel  and  know  her  own  strength. 

When  every  town,  and  almost  every  village  and  hamlet,  in  our 
country  has  now  one  or  more  newspapers,  in  which  the  news  from 
the  four  quarters  of  the  globe  is  given,  it  is  interesting  to  learn 
something  about  the  first  journals  published  in  the  early  colonies 
that  now  in  part  compose  the  United  States.  The  pioneer  in  this 
enterprise  was  Public  Occurrences,  both  Foreign  and  Domestic,  which 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AN* 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1620 

T» 
1758 


Treaty 
of  Peace 
signed 
at  Aix- 
la-Cha 
pelle, 
1748 


The 
First 
News 
papers 
Pub 
lished  in 

This 
Country 


238 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xvi 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


Found 
ing  of 
Yale 
College, 
1702 


Prosper 
ity  of 
Connec 
ticut  and 
Rhode 
Island 


was  issued  in  Boston  as  long  ago  as  September,  1690.  Benjamin 
Harris  was  the  publisher,  and  only  a  single  number  appeared,  because 
the  royal  authorities  refused  to  license  it.  It  was,  therefore,  of  no 
importance,  and  hence  The  Boston  News-Letter  is  generally  credited 
with  being  the  pioneer  American  newspaper.  It  first  appeared  in 
April,  1704,  with  John  Campbell  as  publisher. 

The  second  newspaper  was  The  Gazette,  of  Boston.  William 
Brooker  was  the  publisher,  and  the  first  issue  was  in  December, 
1719.  On  the  succeeding  day,  Andrew  Bradford  published  in  Phil 
adelphia  the  first  number  of  The  American  Weekly  Mercury.  James 
Franklin,  of  Boston,  the  elder  brother  of  the  famous  philosopher, 
Benjamin  .Franklin,  began  the  publication  of  The  New  England 
Courant,  in  August,  1721. 

The  pioneer  paper  in  the  city  of  New  York  was  The  New  York 
Gazette,  first  issued  by  William  Bradford,  October  23rd,  1725.  The 
Daily  Advertiser,  published  in  Philadelphia  in  1785,  was  the  first 
daily  journal.  All  these  papers  were  small  affairs,  with  little  news, 
and  such  as  related  to  Europe  was  two  or  three  months  old. 

It  was  in  the  year  1700  that  ten  ministers  came  together  in  a 
house  in  the  village  of  Branford,  near  New  Haven.  They  met  by 
appointment,  and  each  carried  several  volumes,  which  were  laid  on 
a  table  in  the  middle  of  the  room.  They  were  intended  as  a  dona 
tion  for  founding  a  college,  which  was  opened  at  Saybrook,  in  1702. 
Fifteen  years  later,  the  institution  was  removed  to  New  Haven.  Its 
most  liberal  patron,  during  its  infancy,  was  Elihu  Yale,  in  whose 
honor  this  celebrated  college  was  named. 

Connecticut  enjoyed  great  prosperity  during  the  first  half  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  She  was  not  plagued  by  war,  was  more  liberal 
in  sentiment  than  Massachusetts,  and  her  people  were  enterprising 
and  industrious.  Rhode  Island,  as  will  be  recalled,  included  the 
colony  of  Rhode  Island  and  the  Providence  Plantations,  which  were 
refused  admission  to  the  New  England  League  in  1643.  To  prevent 
the  settlements  being  placed  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Plymouth, 
Roger  Williams  went  to  England  in  1654,  and  secured  a  confirma 
tion  of  the  charter.  Charles  II.  became  king  in  1660,  and  the  Rhode 
Islanders,  with  much  fear  and  trembling,  asked  him  to  renew  the 
charter  granted  by  his  predecessor.  To  their  delight  he  did  so,  in 
1662,  and  the  colony  lived  under  the  provisions  of  this  charter  for 
sixty  years  after  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War. 


CHAPTER    XVII 
THE   COLONIAL   HISTORY  OF  NEW  JERSEY 

[Authorities ;  Prior  to  1664,  the  history  of  what  is  now  New  Jersey  must  be  sought  in 
the  works  that  deal  with  the  New  Netherlands  and  the  Middle  Colonies,  chiefly  under 
Dutch  and  English  administration.  Subsequent  to  the  above  period,  and  while  a  royal 
colony,  New  Jersey  annals  are  related  specially  in  such  works  as  Mulford's  history,  and, 
incidentally,  in  all  the  general  authorities.  See,  also,  such  works  as  deal  with  the  Quaker 
brotherhood,  or  Society  of  Friends.  Among  the  contemporary  accounts  that  recite  the 
doings  of  the  latter  sect,  Sewell's  "History  of  the  Quakers"  shouM  be  consulted.] 

should  not  be  forgotten  that  the  present  State  of 
New  Jersey  was  at  first  a  part  of  New  Netherland. 
At  about  the  time  that  the  Pilgrims  landed  at 
Plymouth,  some  Dutch  traders  wandered  across  the 
North  River  into  New  Jersey  and  established  a 
post  near  Bergen.  It  cannot,  however,  be  consid 
ered  a  settlement.  The  Hollanders  as  a  people  are 
not  very  alert  in  their  movements.  They  did  not  try  to  found  col 
onies  in  America  until  long  after  rival  nations  had  done  so,  and  even 
then  they  showed  no  haste  in  founding  homes  on  the  western  side  of 
the  Hudson. 

In    1623,  a   French  sea-captain  tried  to  set  up  the  arms  of  his 
country  on  the  Delaware,  whereupon  Captain  Cornelius  Jacobsen  May,     ment  in 
the  first   director  in  America  of  the  Dutch  West  India  Company,     r£J.™ 
built  Fort  Nassau,  at  the  mouth  of  Timber  Creek,  a  few  miles  below       1623 
Camden,  and  induced  several  families  of  Walloons  to  locate  near-by. 
Cape  May,  the  well-known  summer  resort  of  New  Jersey,  was  named 
in  compliment  to  Captain  May.     The  Walloons  settled  where  Glou 
cester  now  stands.     After  a  long  time,  the  settlement — the  oldest  in 
the  State — died,  to  spring  into  life  many  years  afterwards  and  grow 
into  a  flourishing  town.     There  were  scattered  dwellings  here  and 


240  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xvn 

PERIOD  ii    there,  but  no  lasting  settlement  was  made  in  New  Jersey  until  the 
latter  half  of  the  seventeenth  century. 

All  of  New  Netherland  lying  between  the  Hudson  and  Delaware, 
1602       to  forty  degrees  and  forty-one  minutes  north,  having  been  granted  by 
1758       Charles  II.  to  his  brother,  the  Duke  of  York,  was  assigned  by  him, 
in   1664,  to  Lord  Berkeley  and  Sir  George  Carteret,  proprietors  of 
Grant  to  Carolina.     The  province  was  named  New  Caesarea,  or  New  Jersey, 
Berkele     *n  cornPnment  to  Carteret's  brave  defence  of  the  island  of  Jersey,  in 
and  Sir     1649,  against  the  soldiers  of  Cromwell.     Berkeley  was  a  brother  of 
Carteret,  the  tyrannical  governor  of  Virginia,  and  had   been  the  instructor  of 


the  Duke  of  York  in  his  youth,  while  Carteret  was  the  treasurer 
of  the  Admiralty. 

Berkeley  and  Carteret  drew  up  a  liberal  constitution  for  the  new 
province,  which  provided  for  a  governor  and  council,  named  by  the 
proprietors,  and  by  representatives  chosen  by  the  people,  who  were 
to  meet  annually,  and  with  the  governor  and  council  formed  a  gen 
eral  assembly  for  the  local  government.  With  a  view  to  encourage 
immigration,  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land  were  promised  to 
every  freeman  and  able-bodied  man-servant  who  came  to  the  pro 
vince  at  the  same  time  with  the  first  governor,  and  each  of  whom 
was  provided  with  a  good  musket,  and  provisions  for  six  months.  A 
similar  present  was  given  to  every  person  sending  such  servants,  and 
half  the  grant-area  of  land  to  any  one  sending  a  weaker  servant  or  slave, 
of  either  sex,  over  fourteen  years  of  age.  To  those  who  did  not  go 
with  the  governor,  but  settled  in  the  province  previous  to  1665,  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  were  promised  on  like  conditions. 
Captain  Philip  Carteret,  a  cousin  of  Sir  George,  was  appointed  gov 
ernor  of  the  new  province,  and  arrived  in  June,  1664,  with  about 
thirty  immigrants.  He  was  cordially  welcomed  by  Governor  Nicolls 
at  New  York,  who,  however,  was  amazed  that  the  Duke  of  York 
should  have  parted  with  what  the  governor  considered  the  most  val- 
uakle  Part  °f  n*s  domain.  Governor  Carteret's  entrance  into  his 
ernor  province  was  made  in  picturesque  fashion.  It  was  the  month  of 
August,  and  he  carried  a  hoe  over  his  shoulder,  in  proof  that  he  in 
tended  to  become  a  planter  among  his  people,  who  followed  in  his 
lead.  He  selected  a  spot  not  far  inland,  which  he  named  Elizabeth- 
town,  in  honor  of  Lady  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Sir  George  Carteret. 
When  thus  christened  it  consisted  of  four  log-cabins,  and  was  long 
the  capital  of  the  province.  Some  years  since  it  was  united  to 


342 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xvn 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


The 
First 
Legisla 
tive  As 
sembly 


Elizabeth,  giving  up  its  distinctive  name  at  the  time  the  union  took 
place. 

A  number  of  settlers  from  Milford,  Connecticut,  purchased  the  site 
of  Newark  from  the  Indians  in  1666.  They  were  soon  joined  by 
other  immigrants,  who  named  the  settlement  Newark,  in  compliment 
to  their  first  pastor,  Abraham  Pierson,  whose  home  in  England  had 
the  same  name.  Agents  were  sent  to  England  to  further  immigra 
tion.  There  was  much  to  favor  the  prosperity  of  New  Jersey.  Its 
government  was  liberal,  its  ruler  popular,  and  (unlike  nearly  every 
other  colony)  it  had  no  trouble  with  the  Indians. 

Among  the  settlers  attracted  to  the  province  were  a  number  from 
New  Haven,  who  made  their  homes  on  the  banks  of  the  Passaic. 
Others  also  came  in,  and  New  Jersey  was  fairly  started  on  its  pros 
perous  career,  when,  in  1668,  the  first  legislative  assembly  met  at 
Elizabethtown.  All  went  well  for  two  years,  and  then  came  the  first 
disturbance.  In  1670,  the  quit-rents  of  a  halfpenny  for  each  acre 
of  land  fell  due,  and  payment  was  demanded.  The  people  were 
indignant.  Many  had  bought  their  land  of  the  Indians,  before  the 
arrival  of  Carteret,  and  they  complained,  not  that  the  demand  was 
oppressive,  but  that  it  was  unjust.  The  settlers  who  had  not  this 
excuse  united  with  those  who  had,  and  for  two  years  the  payment 
of  rents  was  refused,  and  the  province  turned  topsy-turvy.  A  meet 
ing  of  the  representatives  of  the  discontented  people  was  held  at 
Elizabethtown  in  May,  1672.  That  body  compelled  Philip  Carteret 
to  give  up  his  governorship  and  leave  the  province,  and  chose  James 
Carteret,  a  dissolute  son  of  one  of  the  proprietors,  in  his  place. 
Meanwhile,  Philip,  the  rightful  governor,  having  appointed  a  deputy, 
sailed  for  England  to  lay  his  case  before  the  proprietors.  While  the 
latter  were  making  preparations  to  bring  the  province  back  to  its 
allegiance,  the  Dutch  recaptured  New  Netherland  (August,  1673), 
and  a  year  and  a  quarter  passed  before  it  was  re-ceded  to  England. 
Then  the  Duke  of  York  received  a  new  charter  from  the  king  and 
named  Edmund  Andros  governor  of  the  whole  domain. 

It  took  James  Carteret  but  a  short  time  to  prove  his  worthlessness. 
The  disgusted  people  turned  him  out  of  office,  and  acknowledged 
Captain  Berry,  Philip's  deputy,  as  governor.  James  Carteret  went 
to  Virginia,  from  which  colony  he  returned  some  years  later  to  New 
Jersey,  and  wandered  about  the  country  like  an  abject  vagrant  or 
beggar.  "Philip  Carteret  resumed  the  governorship  in  1675  under 


CHAP,  xvii     COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF  NEW  JERSEY  243 

Andros,  and  by  his  course  made  himself  more  popular  than  before. 
The  collection  of  quit-rents  was  postponed  indefinitely;  the  gov- 
ernment  was  made  fully  representative  ;  liberty  of  conscience  was 
guaranteed  ;  and  all  once  more  became  prosperous. 

Lord  Berkeley,  however,  lost  patience  because  of  the  annoyances 
and  losses  he  continually  suffered,  and  he  now  sold  his  interest  in 
New  Jersey  to  John  Fenwick  and  Edward  Byllinge,  two  English     Sale  of 
Quakers,  for  five    thousand  dollars.     Fenwick,  with  xa  number  of  jersey  to 


immigrants,  mostly  of  his  sect,  sailed  for  this  country,  and  began  a 
settlement  on  the  Delaware,  which  they  named  Salem.  Carteret 
retained  the  eastern  part  of  New  Jersey,  and  the  Quakers  the  western 
part.  The  division  of  the  province  into  East  and  West  Jersey  was 
made  July  i,  1676,  and  the  distinction  is  still  to  some  extent  pre 
served  in  the  State.  The  people  of  West  Jersey  were  given  a  liberal 
constitution,  March  13,  1677,  and  several  hundred  Quakers  soon  set 
tled  below  the  Raritan.  Andros  demanded  that  they  should  acknowl 
edge  the  authority  of  the  Duke  of  York,  but  this  they  refused.  The 
dispute  was  referred  to  Sir  William  Jones,  who  decided  in  favor  of 
the  Quakers.  Andros  thereupon  gave  up  both  provinces. 

The  early  ownership  of  New  Jersey  now  became  so  involved  that 
one  has  to  study  it  carefully  to  gain  a  clear  idea  of  its  colonial  his 
tory.  Byllinge,  the  principal  proprietor,  soon  after  Fenwick  went 
to  America,  became  bankrupt,  and  assigned  his  interest  in  New  Jer 
sey  to  William  Penn  and  others,  to  be  sold  for  the  benefit  of  his 
creditors.  This  was  done,  and  the  division,  as  already  stated,  was 
made  July  I,  1676. 

The  first  popular  assembly  in  West  Jersey  convened  at  Salem      First 
in  November,  1681,  and,  being  Quakers,  gave  the  people  a  liberal    Asfsen* 
code  of  laws.     One  of  these  was  that  in  all  criminal  cases,  except     ^ej£ 
murder,  treason,  and  theft,  the  aggrieved  person  had  the  right,  if  he    Jersey, 
wished,  to  pardon  the  offender. 

Carteret  died  in  1679,  and  his  trustees  offered  East  Jersey  for  sale. 
The  purchasers  were  William  Penn  and  eleven  of  his  associates.  A 
new  charter  was  obtained,  February,  1682,  and  in  the  following  July, 
Robert  Barclay,  an  eminent  Quaker  preacher,  and  one  of  the  best  of 
men,  was  appointed  governor  for  life.  An  extensive  immigration  of 
persons  of  his  sect  followed  from  England  and  Scotland,  as  well  as 
from  New  England.  Barclay  ruled  with  wisdom  until  his  death  in 
1690  When  the  Duke  of  York  became  king,  the  kindness  which 


844  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xvn 

PERIOD  H    he   had   shown   towards    his   American   provinces   was  changed  to 

^?ON  AND"    an  impose  severity. 

SwSf"         The  expulsion  of  Andros  from  the  colonies  took  place  in  1689, 

1602       ^d  for  a  dozen  years  New  Jersey  got  on  without  any  regular  form 

'758      of  government.     Finally,  the  confusion  and  the  losses  so  disgusted 

the  proprietors  that  they  made  the  proposition  to  surrender  their 

East  and  rights  of  civil  jurisdiction  to  the  crown,  retaining  only  the  simple 
Jersey     ownership  of  the  land.     This  offer  was  accepted  and  carried  out  in 
1703*'    r7O2>  wnen   East  and  West  Jersey  were  united  as  a  royal  province. 
Queen  Anne  at  that  time  was  the  ruler  of  England.     She  ap 
pointed  her  uncle,  Sir  Edward  Hyde  (Lord  Cornbury),  governor  of 
the  province.     We  have  learned  in  another  place  something  about 
this  rogue,  who  had  the  audacity  as  well  as  the  bad  taste  to  appear  in 
public  dressed  in  women's  clothing.    There  was  no  degrading  vice  of 
which  a  man  is  capable  that  did  not  attach  to  him,  and  he  gloried  in 
his  shame.     No  more  striking  example  of  the  impolicy  of  English 
modes  of  appointment,  or  crown  nominations  to  office,  can  be  adduced 

a  Royai  tnan  tnat  °f  Sir  Edward  Hyde,  who  was  governor  of  New  York  as 

Covet-not  weij  as  of  New  Jersey.  His  word  was  the  supreme  law  of  the  land, 
No  matter  to  what  length  he  carried  his  shameless  crimes  and  misrule, 
no  one  in  America  could  interfere  with  him.  The  most  that  the 
citizens  could  do,  in  the  way  of  making  and  executing  the  laws,  was 
humbly  to  recommend  certain  measures  to  their  governor.  Liberty 
of  conscience  was  refused  to  the  Roman  Catholics,  who  were  treated 
with  the  utmost  harshness.  What  favors  the  knave  had  to  bestow 
went  to  the  members  of  the  Church  of  England,  for  he  was,  pro 
fessedly  at  least,  a  staunch  churchman.  At  this  late  day,  it  is  hard 
to  understand  how  the  freemen  of  New  Jersey  submitted  so  long  to 
the  misrule  of  such  a  governor.  Printing  in  the  province  was  per 
mitted  only  by  royal  license,  and  the  slave-trade,  because  it  was 
profitable,  was  encouraged.  The  condition  of  the  people  themselves 
was  little  better  than  that  of  slavery.  Hyde  ruled  New  York  and 
New  Jersey  for  seven  years,  during  which  he  stole  public  money,  and 
made  so  execrable  a  governor  that  the  Queen,  in  1 708,  was  compelled 
to  recall  him.  It  has  been  said  that  he  was  cast  into  prison  for 
debt,  where  he  was  compelled  to  stay  until  the  death  of  his  father 
made  him  Lord  Cornbury.  Even  to  this  day  no  member  of  the 
House  of  Lords  can  be  arrested  for  debt,  and  this  extraordinary  type 
of  a  ruler  therefore  went  free  of  arrest. 


CHAP,  xvii     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    NEW   JERSEY 


245 


It  must  be  remembered  that,  although  New  Jersey  was  a  depend 
ency  of  New  York  and  was  ruled  by  the  same  governor,  she  had  her 
own  legislative  assembly.  This  state  of  affairs  continued  until  1738, 
when  Lewis  Morris,  her  chief-justice,  put  forth  his  influence  to  se 
cure  its  full  independence  of  New  York.  His  efforts  were  success 
ful,  for,  in  the  year  named,  New  Jersey  became  a  separate  royal 
province,  with  its  own  governor,  as  well  as  house  of  assembly.  Chief- 


/ 

«^**i"i' 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


New  Jer 
sey  made 
Indepen 
dent  of 
New 

York, 
1738 


A  MASQUERADING  GOVERNOR 


The 
Last 


Justice  Morris  was  the  first  governor  after  the  province  was  detached 
from   New  York,  and  made  a  wise  and  excellent  ruler.     From  that 
time  down  to  the  Revolution,  the  history  of  New  Jersey  was  unevent 
ful.     Her  last  royal  governor  was   William    Franklin,  a  son  of  the 
famous  Benjamin  Franklin.     He  was  appointed  in  1763,  and  was  so  Qoveraoi 
strong  and  bitter  a  Tory  that  the  Continental  Congress  removed  him     of  New 
from  office,  in  the  summer  of  1776.     He  then  proceeded  to  England,      17*63*' 
where  he  died  in  1813. 


The 
First 
Lord 
Balti 
more 


CHAPTER    XVIII 
THE  COLONIAL    HISTORY  OF  MARYLAND 

\Authorities:  Maryland's  history,  for  over  the  long  period  of  a  hundred  years,  was, 
on  the  whole,  an  auspicious  and  unvexed  one,  thanks  to  the  astuteness  and  large-minded- 
ness  of  its  first  founder.  Lord  Baltimore,  and  the  successors  of  his  family  who  were  its 
lords-proprietor.  The  colony,  happily,  had  few  Indian  troubles  to  interfere  with  its 
peace  ;  while  the  policy  of  religious  toleration,  which  made  it  the  asylum  of  Protestant 
and  Catholic  alike,  attracted  many  to  its  hospitable  shores,  and  made  prosperous  its  path, 
save  for  the  brief  period  of  strife  with  Clayborne  and  his  Virginian  following,  and,  later 
on,  with  Coode  and  his  fanatical  allies.  Even  through  the  period  of  civil  war  in  Eng 
land,  its  history  was  in  the  main  uncheckered.  The  chief  authorities  are  the  con 
temporary  works  :  Baltimore's  *'  Relation  of  Maryland,"  and  Alsop's  "  Province  of 
Maryland,"  together  with  Lodge's  "  English  Colonies,"  the  general  histories  of  the 
United  States,  and,  especially,  Browne's  "  Maryland,"  in  the  American  Commonwealth 
Series.  Attention  is  also  directed  to  the  comprehensive  work,  edited  by  members  of 
Johns  Hopkins  University,  and  published  in  1893  by  the  State,  entitled  **  Maryland  :  Its 
Resources,  Industrie^1  and  Institutions."] 

|IR  GEORGE  CALVERT  was  a  courtier  at  the 
court  of  the  English  King  James  L,  who  knighted 
him  in  1617,  and  two  years  later  commissioned  him 
one  of  his  chief  secretaries  of  state.  Calvert  was  a 
brilliant  young  man,  a  favorite  of  the  monarch,  and 
much  interested  in  the  settlement  of  foreign  coun 
tries,  as  was  shown  by  his  membership,  not  only  of 
the  East  India  Company,  but  of  the  London  Company  which  colo 
nized  Virginia.  Some  time  later,  Calvert  became  a  Roman  Catholic, 
and,  in  consequence,  was  obliged  to  resign  his  secretaryship  in  1624. 
The  following  year  the  King  made  him  an  Irish  peer,  creating  him 
Baron  of  Baltimore,  in  the  County  of  Longford.  This  took  place 
only  a  few  weeks  before  the  death  of  King  James. 

The   Catholics    of    England  suffered  much  persecution  at   that 


CHAP,  xviii     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF   MARYLAND  247 

period,  and  Lord  Baltimore's  heart  was  moved  to  seek  a  refuge  in  PERIOD  11 

some  other  country  for  those  of  his  own  faith.  He  had  made  an  at-  COLON**. 

J  TION  AN0 

tempt  to  plant  a  colony  in  Newfoundland,  but  the  rigor  of  the  cli-  SJS?" 
mate  and  the  barrenness  of  the  soil  caused  him  to  abandon  his  pur-       I6°2 

TO 

pose,  and  he  obtained  a  patent  from  Charles  I.,  for  a  domain  south       1758 
of  the  James  River.     The  Virginia  settlers,  however,  protested  so 
strongly  that  he  surrendered  the  new  charter,  and  accepted  another,       The 


which  gave  him  a  district  which  he  named  Maryland,  in  honor  of 
Henrietta  Maria,  the  consort  of  Charles.  It  included  the  present 
State  of  Maryland,  Delaware,  and  a  part  of  New  Jersey  and  Pennsyl 
vania.  Before  the  royal  seal  was  attached  to  the  patent,  Lord  Balti 
more  died,  and  his  son  Cecil  succeeded  to  his  title  and  estates.  The 
latter  was  in  sympathy  with  his  father's  plans,  and  received  the 
patent,  which  was  dated  June  2Oth,  1632. 

The  constitution  issuing  out  of  the  terms  of  this  patent  was  the 
most  remarkable  of  any  hitherto  granted  to  an  English  colony.  No 
settlers  had  ever  received  so  great  and  democratic  privileges.  The 
Lords  Baltimore  were  left  free  to  govern  the  province  as  they  chose, 
without  accounting  to  their  sovereign.  For  the  first  time,  a  share  in 
legislation  was  secured  to  the  citizen.  Not  only  were  full  political 
rights  guaranteed  to  the  settlers,  but  there  was  no  discrimination  in 
favor  of  or  against  any  religious  sect.  This  provision  was  liberal,  A 
just  and  wise  in  a  worldly  sense  ;  for  many  of  those  whom  the  Puri-  stitution 
tans  of  New  England  persecuted,  and  the  churchmen  of  Virginia 
harried,  found  rest  and  full  freedom  of  conscience  in  Maryland. 
Thither,  therefore,  many  of  them  went,  almost  as  soon  as  the  colony 
was  established. 

Cecil   Calvert  appointed  Leonard,  his  half-brother,  governor,  and 
about  three  hundred  servants  and  laborers,  and  twenty  "  gentlemen" 
sailed  with  him  from  Cowes,  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  November  22d, 
1633.     Their  vessel  was  named  The  Ark,  and  was  accompanied  by  a 
pinnace  named  The  Dove.     After  an  unusually  stormy  voyage,  dur 
ing  which  the   two  vessels  were   separated  for  a  long  time,  Point    Arrival 
Comfort  was  sighted,  February  24th,  1634.       The  immigrants  sailed  Comfort, 
up  the  James  to  Jamestown,  where  they  were  received  by  Governor          ^ 
Harvey.     The  Virginians  felt  anything  but  pleased  at  the  grant  to 
Lord  Baltimore,  as  it  infringed,  as  they  thought,  upon  their  own 
domain  ;  but  the  credentials  of  the  nobleman  could  not  be  questioned, 
besides  which  he  and  Governor  Harvey  were  personal  friends.     The 


248 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xvm 


visitors  remained  for  more  than  a  week  at  Jamestown,  where  they 
were  entertained  with  great  hospitality.  Then  they  sailed  for  the 
Chesapeake,  and  entered  the  mouth  of  the  Potomac.  All  were 
charmed  with  the  scenery.  It  was  early  spring,  and  the  wooded 
shores  were  agleam  with  bursting  bud  and  blossom ;  the  soft  winds 
were  laden  with  the  fragrance  of  flowers ;  and  the  balmy  skies  seemed 
never  to  have  been  fretted  by  storm.  Here  and  there  the  little 


Cere 
monies 
attend 
ing  the 

Land 
ing 


LANDING   OF    CALVERT    AND  THE    MARYLAND    COLONISTS 

Indian  canoes  skimmed  like  swallows  across  the  broad  stream,  or 
darted  about  among  the  cool  shadows  of  the  shore;  while  at  night 
the  camp-fires  blazed  amid  the  trees  and  threw  their  glow  far  out  on 
the  placid  river. 

On  March  25th,  the  immigrants  went  ashore  on  a  small  island, 
some  thirty  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Potomac.  Solemn  relig 
ious  ceremonies  took  place,  including  the  administration  of  the 
Lord's  Supper,  and  Governor  Calvert  led  the  procession  to  an  eleva 
tion,  where  they  all  kneeled  around  a  large  cross  fashioned  from  a 
tree,  .and  the  Roman  Catholics  recited  the  "  Litanies  of  the  Sacred 


CHAP,  xviii     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    MARYLAND 


249 


Cross."  The  Indians,  grouped  around,  looked  upon  the  strange 
scene  with  awe  and  wonderment.  If  the  red  men  felt  any  misgiv 
ings  regarding  their  visitors,  these  were  soon  removed  by  the  course 
pursued  by  Calvert.  He  paid  a  visit  to  the  chief,  and  treated  him 
with  great  consideration.  He  then  agreed  upon  a  treaty  of  peace 
with  him,  and  secured  his  aid  in  quieting  the  fears  of  the  neighbor 
ing  tribes.  An  English  trader  was  met  at  Piscataway,  who  had  lived 
a  number  of  years  among  the  Indians,  and  he  gave  much  help  in 
winning  their  good-will  towards  the  white  men. 

The  settlers  moved  down  the  stream  to  the  mouth  of  a  river  which 
they  named  the  St.  George.  The  expansion  at  the  entrance  was 
called  St.  Mary's,  a  name  now  applied  to  the  whole  river.  Disem 
barking,  the  colonists  advanced  a  mile  or  more  inland,  to  the  spot 
where  they  decided  to  make  their  settlement.  The  situation  could 
not  have  been  better  chosen.  Cool  springs  were  numerous,  the  river 
bank  was  elevated,  the  climate  healthful,  and  a  charming  valley  lay 
within  a  half-mile  of  the  stream. 

Calvert  had  the  authority  of  his  sovereign  to  take  the  land  without 
asking  permission  of  the  Indians,  but  he  entertained  no  thought  of 
so  unjust  a  course.  His  first  act  was  to  admit  their  ownership  by 
buying  about  thirty  miles  of  territory,  including  the  native  village} 
for  which  he  paid  so  many  trinkets  and  agricultural  implements  that 
the  red  men  must  have  felt  that  they  had  the  best  of  the  bargain. 
The  Indians  gave  up  one-half  of  their  village  to  the  use  of  the  colo 
nists,  and  agreed  to  let  them  have  a  moiety  of  their  crops  until  such 
time  as  they  could  plant  for  themselves.  They  lived  side  by  side 
for  months,  like  a  band  of  brothers.  They  hunted  together,  slept 
in  the  same  wigwams,  and  taught  each  other  many  useful  things. 
The  Indians  showed  the  white  men  how  to  make  the  delicious 
"  pone"  bread ;  how  best  to  cultivate  maize,  and  the  most  successful 
manner  of  hunting  wild  game;  while  the  English  housewives  gave 
the  squaws  valuable  lessons  in  cookery.  The  red  men  were  not 
wholly  unselfish  in  this,  for  they  held  the  powerful  Susquehanna 
tribe  in  the  north  in  much  dread,  but  knew  that  with  the  help  of  the 
settlers  they  were  invincible  against  them. 

As  they  had  agreed  to  do,  the  Indians  moved  out  of  their  village 
at  the  end  of  harve*  ^  time,  and  turned  it  over  to  their  pale-faced 
brothers.  Maryland  was  the  only  colony  that  furnished  not  merely 
the  land,  but  the  dwelling-houses  for  the  colonists  who  first  settled 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 
TO 
1758 


Settle 
ment  of 

Mary 
land, 
1634 


250  HISTORY   OF  THE   UNITED   STATES    CHAP,  xvm 


upon  the  soil.     Formal  possession  of  the  territory  was  taken  by  Cal- 

arch  27tn>    ^34- 

It  is  impossible  to  imagine  conditions  more  favorable  for  settle- 
1602      rnent  than  those  of  Maryland.     The  Indians,  as  we  have  said,  were 
'758      friendly  ;  the  climate  was  healthful  ;  the  soil  fertile  ;  the  people  in 
dustrious  ;  and  the  form  of  government  of  the  most  liberal  character. 
Repre-    A  year  after  the  settlement  of  St.  Mary's,  as  the  new  town  was  named, 
live  Gov-  a  legislative  assembly  met  there,  composed  of  all  the  freemen.     In- 


creasing  immigration  made  this  method  too  unwieldy,  so,  in  1639,  a 
Ushed,    representative  government  was  established. 

The  Maryland  settlers,  as  has  been  shown,  were  treated  hospitably 
at  Jamestown,  but,  for  all  that,  the  Virginians  were  resentful,  since 
they  looked  upon  the  incoming  of  the  colonists  as  an  intrusion  upon 
their  domain,  and  it  was  from  that  quarter  the  first  trouble  came. 
There  was  a  member  of  the  Virginia  council,  by  the  name  of  Wil 
liam  Clayborne,  who  had  received  from  the  governor  of  the  province 
authority  to  explore  the  waters  of  Chesapeake  Bay  beyond  the  34th 
degree  of  north  latitude.  In  1631,  Clayborne  obtained  royal  per 
mission  to  press  discoveries  in  that  region,  and  to  open  a  trade  with 
tne  nat*ves-  ^e  established  a  trading-post  on  Kent  Island,  in  the 
William  Chesapeake,  near  Annapolis,  and  insisted  that  this  post  should  be 
bornJof  exempt  from  the  jurisdiction  of  Maryland,  because  his  grant  was 
Virginia  older.  The  Virginia  Assembly  favored  his  view,  but  Calvert  or 
dered  Clayborne  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance,  or  leave  the  prov 
ince.  He  refused  to  do  either,  and  sent  an  armed  vessel  into  the 
Chesapeake  to  protect  his  interests. 

Calvert  was  on  the  watch,  and  the  vessel,  after  a  skirmish,  was 
captured,  but  CKy  borne  hurried  across  the  Virginia  line,  and  strove 
to  incite  the  Indians  against  the  Marylanders,  saying  that  they  were 
Spaniards,  who  only  awaited  a  favorable  time  to  massacre  them.  Thr 
Maryland  legislating  in  1638,  passed  a  bill  depriving  Clayborne  of 
his  civil  rights  and  h';s  property  within  its  jurisdiction.  Clayborne 
appealed  to  the  king,  who  decided  against  him,  and  for  several  years 
he  made  no  more  trouble.  The  result  of  Clayborne's  tampering  with 
Indian  the  Indians  appeared  when  the  Susquehannas  began  a  series  of  attacks 
on  tne  outlying  settlements.  The  militia  was  organized,  and  sent 


Ii642       against  them  in  1642;   but  after  two  years  of  warfare,  a  treaty  of 
peace  was  signed,  and  hostilities  ceased. 

We  have  referred  to  the  liberal  constitution  of  Maryland  as  framed 


CHAP,  xvni     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF    MARYLAND 


251 


by  the  Roman  Catholics.  Its  liberality  was  shown,  not  merely  in  PMUQP  II 
the  instrument  itself,  but  in  the  fact  that  a  number  of  the  members 
of  the  assembly  were  Protestants.  Lord  Baltimore  was  worldly 
wise,  and  during  the  bitter  religious  strife  in  England,  sought  to 
keep  on  good  terms  with  the  Parliament,  which  there  was  reason  to 
fear  would  soon  triumph  over  the  king.  The  outlook  was  so  threat 
ening  that,  in  1643,  the  governor  sailed  for  England  to  consult  his 
brother,  and  while  he  was  gone  he  left  Giles  Brent  as  his  deputy. 


'75* 


CAPTURE  OF  CLAYBORNE'S  VESSEL 

About  the  same  time,  King  Charles,  at  Oxford,  authorized  Lord 
Baltimore  to  take  possession  of  any  ships  from  London  owned  by  the 
Parliamentary,  or  Cromwellian,  party.  Such  a  vessel  was  seized, 
some  months  later,  at  St.  Mary's,  and  Richard  Ingle,  its  commander, 
fled  to  England.  The  incident  stirred  up  bad  feeling  in  Maryland 
and  Virginia,  and  intensified  the  anger  between  the  Catholics  and 
Protestants.  Clayborne,  who  was  life-treasurer  of  Virginia,  used  the 
opportunity  to  revenge  himself  upon  Lord  Baltimore.  He  found 
trouble  in  inciting  the  Parliamentary  faction  in  the  Maryland 


Insurrec 
tion  by 
the   Par- 

liaraen- 

Factfon, 
1644 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xvm 

legislature  to  rebellion,  and,  having  done  so,  took  possession  again  of 
his  little  settlement  on  Kent  Island.     Upon  Calvert's  return,  in  1644, 
he  found  matters  topsy-turvy.     Richard  Ingle  soon  arrived  with  au- 
1602       thority  from  Parliament  to  make  reprisals  upon  the  property  of  the 
175*       royalists.     Both  Ingle  and  Clayborne  made  common  cause,  and  were 
so  powerful  that  Calvert  was  driven  from  the  colony,  and  Edward 
Hill,  a  Virginian,  was  put  in  his  place.     He  was  so  obedient  to 
Ingle  and  Clayborne,  and  so  oppressive  to  the  colonists,  that  most  of 
those,  even  of  his  own  faith,  fell  away  from  him. 

Calvert  meanwhile  was  not  idle.  Driven  into  Virginia,  he  kept 
in  touch  with  his  adherents  across  the  line,  and  spent  the  winter  in 
gathering  a  small  force,  with  which  he  crossed  the  border  and  recap 
tured  St.  Mary's.  Calvert  resumed  the  governorship  in  August, 
1646.  Clayborne  fled  from  Kent  Island,  while  Ingle  was  now  safe 
in  England.  Peace  once  more  came  to  the  sorely  plagued  province, 
and  Leonard  Calvert,  dying  in  June,  1647,  appointed  Thomas  Green 
his  successor.  Green,  who  was  a  Roman  Catholic,  was  displaced  by 
Lord  Baltimore,  who  commissioned  William  Stone  his  successor. 
He  was  a  Virginian,  a  Protestant,  and  a  strong  supporter  of  Parlia 
ment.  He  proved  to  be  a  wise  ruler,  and  through  his  influence  many 
Virginia  Puritans  settled  in  Maryland. 

***?^£e       The  assembly,  which  met    in    1649,  was  composed  of   Puritans, 

Tolera-    Churchmen,  and  Roman  Catholics.     It  passed  the  Toleration  Act, 

°?649°  *  which  allowed  free  exercise  of  the  religious  opinions  to  every  one 

who  believed  in  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Trinity.     Since  Unitarians  and 

Jews  were  excluded,  this  Toleration  Act  is  not  entitled  to  all  the 

credit  that  has  often  been  given  to  it. 

Although  Lord  Baltimore  professed  to  be  an  adherent  of  repub 
licanism,  he  had  been  too  devoted  a  friend  of  the  beheaded  king  for 
Parliament  entirely  to  trust  him.  That  body  appointed  a  commis 
sion,  of  which  Clayborne  was  a  member,  to  govern  Maryland.  The 
members  arrived  in  1652,  took  Governor  Stone's  commission  from 
him,  but  reinstated  him  some  months  later,  he  being  permitted  to 
reserve  to  himself  his  oath  to  Lord  Baltimore  as  proprietor  of  the 
province  till  "the  pleasure  of  the  State  of  England  be  further 
known.'*  At  the  same  time,  Kent  and  Palmer's  Islands  were  restored 
to  Clayborne,.  who  in  this  gained  a  decisive  victory  over  his  old 
enemy. 

Lord   Baltimore,  in  August,  1652,  petitioned  Parliament  for  re 


CHAP,  xvm     COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF   MARYLAND 


253 


l6°2 


dress.  He  reminded  that  body  that  while  Virginia  had  clung  to  PERIOD  11 
King  Charles,  Maryland,  like  New  England,  had  not  declared  against 
the  Parliament.  In  1653,  upon  the  dissolution  of  the  "  Long  Parlia- 
ment,"  Cromwell  restored  all  of  Baltimore's  rights  as  proprietor. 
Governor  Stone  was  imprudent  enough  to  adopt  rigorous  measures 
against  the  late  disturbers  of  the  peace,  Clayborne  being  among 
those  whom  he  refused  to  pardon.  .The  incensed  commissioners  im 
mediately  removed  Stone  and  the  Catholic  officers,  and  vested  the 
government  in  a  board  of  ten  commissioners. 

The  assembly,  which  convened  in  1654,  contained  a  majority  of 
Protestants,  whose  anger  against  their  co-religionists  was  so  kindled  Tolera- 
that  they  passed  an  act  depriving  the  Roman  Catholics  and  members 
of  the  Church  of  England  of  the  right  to  vote.  Lord  Baltimore,  who 
was  then  in  London,  upon  learning  what  had  been  done,  sought  and 
obtained  an  audience  with  Cromwell.  The  interview  was  courteous 
on  both  sides,  and  that  remarkable  man,  known  as  the  Protector, 
under  the  Commonwealth,  commanded  the  commissioners  to  let  re 
ligious  matters  alone,  and  concern  themselves  only  with  those  per 
taining  to  civil  government.  Lord  Baltimore  was  so  encouraged  that 
he  sent  orders  to  Stone  to  raise  and  enrol  a  force  to  assert  his  au 
thority.  The  deposed  governor  was  only  too  glad  to  do  so.  He 
gathered  a  large  number  of  followers,  mostly  Roman  Catholics,  seized 
the  colonial  records,  and  kindled  anew  the  flames  of  civil  war.  Sev-  bances 
eral  conflicts  took  place,  and  in  an  engagement,  in  April,  1655,  near 
the  site  of  Annapolis,  Stone  met  with  a  severe  repulse,  and  was  made 
prisoner  Four  of  his  associates  were  hanged,  but  the  governor's 
life  was  spared. 

Civil  war  continued  to  rage,  ?r«d  Cromwell  was  continually  pes 
tered  with  the  petitions  of  the  rival  claimants.  At  last,  in  Novem 
ber,  1657,  a  settlement  was  reached  by  the  representatives  in  Eng 
land,  and  was  confirmed,  in  March  following,  by  the  contestants  in 
Maryland.  This  agreement  guaranteed  amnesty  for  all  past  offences  ; 
full  liberty  of  conscience  ;  the  submission  of  the  Puritans  to  the  au 
thority  of  Lord  Baltimore  as  proprietor  ;  land  warrants  were  to  be 
granted,  and  the  actions  of  previous  assemblies  were  to  be  held  legal, 
without  regard  to  past  political  disturbances. 

When  Cromwell  died,  the  Marylanders  dissolved  the  proprietary 
part  of  the  general  assembly,  and,  in  the  spring  of  1660,  elected  their 
governor,  and  assumed  the  entire  legislative  control  of  the  State.  A  1660 


Restora- 


*$4 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xvm 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA- 
T10N  AND 

SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1753 


George 
Fox  in 
Mary 
land 


A  Crisis 

in  Af 
fairs, 
1684 


Rule  of 

Coode, 

1689^ 

1692 


few  months  later,  Charles  II.  ascended  the  English  throne,  and  re 
stored  to  Lord  Baltimore  his  full  proprietary  rights.  He  proclaimed 
pardon  for  all  political  offences,  and  the  peace  and  prosperity  which 
followed  remained  undisturbed  for  thirty  years. 

An  interesting  occurrence  during  this  tranquil  period  was  the  ar 
rival  of  George  Fox,  the  founder  of  the  sect  of  Friends  or  Quakers. 
In  the  assemblage  which  gathered  on  the  shores  of  the  Chesapeake 
to  listen  to  his  preaching  were  members  of  the  legislature,  the  lead 
ing  men  of  the  province,  Indian  sachems  and  their  families,  with 
their  great  chief  at  their  head. 

Lord  Baltimore,  after  seeing  his  colony  emerge  from  its  early 
stormy  years,  and  increase  in  number  till  it  reached  a  population  of 
ten  thousand,  died  in  1675,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Charles. 
The  right  of  suffrage  was  established  by  the  general  assembly  of 
1678,  while  he  was  absent  in  England.  Returning  three  years  later, 
he,  however,  set  aside  the  act,  and  permitted  no  one  to  vote  who  did 
not  own  fifty  acres  of  land,  or  property  to  the  value  of  forty  pounds. 
This  caused  so  much  dissatisfaction  that  the  mutterings  of  rebellion 
were  again  heard,  and  the  king  issued  an  order  that  all  the  offices  in 
Maryland  should  be  filled  exclusively  by  Protestants. 

Lord  Baltimore  visited  England  in  1684,  where  he  found  his 
rights  in  peril.  He  had  hardly  set  about  protecting  them,  when 
James  II.  was  driven  from  the  throne,  and  William  and  Mary  as 
cended  it.  Baltimore  bowed  to  the  change,  and  sent  orders  to  his 
deputies  to  proclaim  the  new  monarchs.  A  delay  in  sending  out 
these  orders  caused  distrust  in  the  province.  A  marplot,  named 
Coode,  alarmed  the  people  by  the  cry  that  the  Roman  Catholics  had 
joined  the  Indians  in  a  plot  to  massacre  all  the  Protestants.  The 
latter  flew  to  arms,  and,  under  the  leadership  of  Coode,  took  posses 
sion  of  St.  Mary's,  and  assumed  the  government  in  May,  1689. 
With  an  account  of  their  action,  they  sent  a  series  of  false  accusa 
tions  to  the  king  regarding  Lord  Baltimore,  and  begged  him  to  make 
the  province  a  royal  one  imder  the  protection  pf  the  crown.  The 
request  was  granted,  and  Coode  was  made  governor.  His  rule  was 
so  bad  that  he  was  displaced  in  1692,  and  Sir  Lionel  Copley  was 
appointed  his  successor.  Under  his  rule,  religious  toleration  was 
abolished,  and  the  Church  of  England  became  the  State  church, 
supported  by  the  taxation  of  the  people.  Other  oppressive  laws  were 
passed,  and  the  seat  of  government  was  moved,  in  1694,  to  the  town 


FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  DRAWING  BY  WARREN   B.    DAW* 

GEORGE    FOX'S    NOTABLE    AUDIENCE 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xvm 


PERIOD  11 
COLON  IZA 

TION  AND 

SETTLE 

MENT 

1602 

TO 

1758 


History 
of  Mary 
land  to 
the  Rev 
olution 


of  Anne  Arundel,  the  name  of.  which  was  changed  in  the  following 
year  to  Annapolis,  which  has  remained  the  capital  ever  since. 

The  proprietary  rights  of  Lord  Baltimore  were  never  restored  to 
him.  His  son,  Benedict  Leonard  Calvert,  who  was  educated  a  Prot 
estant,  received  them  back  in  1715.  Years  of  prosperity  followed, 
under  Charles  Calvert,  fifth  Lord  Baltimore,  during  which  the  popu 
lation  increased  to  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  The 
proprietary  rights  of  the  province  remained  in  the  family  of  Lord 
Baltimore  until  the  Revolution.  The  last  royal  governor  was  John 
Hart,  who  ruled  as  deputy  for  several  years,  and  Frederick  Calvert 
succeeded  his  father  upon  his  death  in  1751.* 

*  To  the  student  of  Maryland  history,  no  little  interest  must  centre  in  the  Calvert 
family  (the  Lords  Baltimore),  which  for  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  (1632-1771) 
exercised  Palatine  powers  over  the  colony,  and  gave  it,  on  the  whole,  the  blessings  of  a 
wise  and  beneficent  rule.  Though  founded  by  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  its  affairs  admin 
istered  through  an  exceedingly  turbulent  era  in  English  history,  by  successive  members 
of  the  original  grantee's  family,  Maryland  and  its  colonizers  enjoyed  a  larger  measure  of 
peace  and  prosperity  than  fell  to  the  lot  of  settlers  in  other  regions  on  the  coast.  The 
annals  of  the  colony,  it  is  true,  were  checkered,  first,  as  we  have  seen,  by  the  unwilling 
ness  of  William  Clayborne,  the  Puritan  trader  of  Virginia,  to  acknowledge  Baltimore's 
rights  in  the  territory  assigned  by  James  the  First's  grant;  and,  secondly,  by  the  insur 
rection  of  John  Coode,  whose  clerical  zeal  for  the  defence  of  Protestantism  had  been 
fired  by  the  dethronement  of  James  1 1.  and  the  movements  connected  with  the  English 
Revolution  of  1688.  But  these  disturbances  were  due  more  to  the  lawlessness  and 
fanaticism  of  the  time  than  to  any  despotic  acts  or  defects  in  the  administration,  since 
the  proprietary  governors,  in  founding  the  colony,  had  laid  down  rules  for  its  govern 
ment  conceived  in  the  most  liberal,  tolerant,  and  enlightened  spirit. 

The  Lords  Baltimore  were  seven  in  number,  dating  from  the  creation  of  the  title, 
in  1625,  to  its  extinction,  in  1771,  by  the  death  of  Frederick  Calvert,  the  seventh 
baron,  who  left  no  legal  heir.  The  first  Baron  Baltimore,  George  Calvert  (1580-1632), 
was  a  statesman  and  privy  councillor  in  James  the  First's  reign,  and  one  of  the  king's 
secretaries  of  state.  In  1624,  when  the  kingly  champion  of  Episcopal  authority  in  Eng 
land  was  making  truculent  concessions  to  Roman  Catholics,  to  advance  the  prospective 
marriage  interests  in 'Spain  of  his  son,  Prince  Charles,  which  all  came  to  naught,  Sir 
George  Calvert  declared  himself  a  convert  to  the  Papacy,  and  resigned  his  offices  in  the 
state.  In  the  following  year,  the  king  made  him  Baron  Baltimore;  and  from  that  mon 
arch's  successor  he  obtained  a  grant  of  land  in  the  New  World,  supplemental  to  that 
which  had  already  been  deeded  him  in  Newfoundland,  but  which  he  had  abandoned,  in 
consequence  of  the  rigor  of  the  climate.  As  the  patent  was  about  to  issue,  Lord  Balti 
more  died  (in  1632) ,  but  the  grant  was  made  to  his  son,  Cecil,  who,  in  the  following 
year,  sent  out  his  brother,  Leonard,  to  found  and  govern  the  Maryland  colony.  We 
have  seen  what  vicissitudes  overtook  the  young  settlement,  but  in  spite  of  these  it  grew 
apace  and  prospered,  enjoying,  as  we  have  shown,  exceptional  advantages  under  the  long 
rule  of  its  lords-proprietors.  With  the  death  (in  1771)  of  Frederick  Calvert,  seventh 
Lord  Baltimore,  the  title  became  extinct;  and  shortly  after  this  the  colony  passed  from 
the  hands  of  the  historic  family  into  those  of  the  crown.  The  "monumental  city," 
situate  at  the  head  of  tide-water  on  the  Patapsco  River,  which  perpetuates  the  family 
name,  was  founded  in  1729. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
THE   COLONIAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  CAROLINAS 

\Authorities  :  The  reader  will  have  learned  something  of  the  early  history  of  the 
Carolinas  from  the  account  given  in  a  previous  chapter  of  Jean  Ribaut's  attempt  at 
settlement  at  Port  Royal,  in  the  time  of  Charles  X.,  of  P>ance.  Nearly  a  hundred 
years,  however,  were  to  pass  before  any  portion  of  the  region  was  opened  to  practical 
settlement.  In  1663,  Charles  II.,  of  England,  made  a  grant  of  the  territory,  and  two 
years  later  enlarged  the  grant,  to  eight  lords-proprietor,  under  whom  and  their  suc 
cessors  the  region  was  settled,  until  it  passed,  in  1729-31,  into  the  hands  of  the  Crown 
as  two  distinct  royal  provinces,  named  North  and  South  Carolina.  The  chief  incidents 
in  the  annals  of  the  territory  will  be  found  set  forth  in  the  present  chapter.  These  in 
clude  the  facts  respecting  the  philosopher  John  Locke's  impracticable  constitution  ;  the 
turbulent  scenes  connected  with  the  misrule  of  successive  governors  ;  the  expedition  of 
South  Carolina  against  St.  Augustine,  Florida,  and  the  Spanish  reprisals  directed  against 
Charleston  ;  the  troubles  with  the  Tuscarora  and  other  Indian  tribes  of  the  region  ; 
and  the  events  preceding  the  separation  of  the  two  colonies.  For  further  and  more 
detailed  accounts  of  the  Carolinas,  see  Winsor's  "Narrative  and  Critical  History  of 
America,"  Lodge's  "  English  Colonies  in  America,"  Saunders's  "  Colonial  Records,"  and 
Moore's  "  History  of  North  Carolina,"  and  Simms's  "  History  of  South  Carolina."] 

N  the  earlier  portion  of  this  work,  the  unsuccessful      Early 
attempts  to  settle  the  Carolinas,  prior  to  the  plant-        At" 
ing  of  an  English  colony  at  Jamestown,  have  been  to  Settit 
touched  upon.     The  fate  of  the  "  Lost  Colony  of 
Roanoke"   will    always   remain  one   of   the  most 
pathetic  incidents  of  pur  early  history. 

Several  efforts  were  made  by  adventurers  to  find 
homes  and  wealth  south  of  Virginia  during  the  first 
quarter  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  in  1630  a  charter  was  ob 
tained  by  Sir  Robert  Heath,  the  attorney-general  of  Charles  I., 
which  granted  a  stretch  of  territory,  six  degrees  in  width,  and  lying 
south  of  Virginia,  but  the  charter  was  recalled  because  its  conditions 
were  not  fulfilled  by  Heath. 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xus 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION.  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


Charles 

IPs 
Grant, 

1663 


Found 
ing  of  the 
Albe- 
marle 
County 
Colony, 
1663 


A  settlement  was  made  on  the  Chowan  River,  in  1653,  by  a  num 
ber  of  Presbyterians  from  Jamestown.  The  location  chosen  was  near 
the  present  site  of  Edenton,  and  there  they  were  followed  by  others 

who  sought  to  escape  the 
rude  climate  and  harsh  rule 
of  New  England.  Thus  the 
settlements  attained  consid 
erable  importance. 

In  March,  1663,  Charles 
II.  granted  to  the  Earl  of 
Clarendon,  to  the  Duke  of 
Albemarle,  Lord  Craven, 
Sir  Anthony  Ashley  Coop 
er,  Lord  John  Berkeley 
(brother  of  the  then  gover 
nor  of  Virginia),  Sir  George 
Carteret,  and  a  number  of 
other  favorites,  a  domain 
extending  from  about  the 
thirtieth  to  the  thirty-sixth 
parallel  of  north  latitude, 
with,  as  its  western  bound 
ary,  the  South  Sea,  or  Pa 
cific  Ocean.  This  body  of 
water  generally  served  to 
define  the  western  limits  of 
all  the  royal  grants,  for  it 
was  a  long  time  before  the 
people  in  the  Old  World  learned  that  three  thousand  miles  of  land 
separated  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  oceans.  In  1665,  the  charter  was 
amended  so  as  to  include  a  half-degree  more  of  territory  to  the 
north,  and  one  degree  additional  to  the  south. 

At  the  time  this  grant  was  made,  the  settlements  on  the  Chowan  had 
become  so  important  that  Governor  Berkeley,  of  Virginia,  was  author 
ized  to  extend  his  jurisdiction  over  them.  Instead  of  doing  this,  he 
organized  a  separate  government,  designated  the  Albemarle  County 
Colony,  and  appointed  William  Drummond,  a  Presbyterian  of  Vir 
ginia,  as  governor.  The  administration  was  organized  on  a  just  and 
liberal  basis.  Joined  with  Drummond  in  the  government  of  the  colony 


REGION    OF    N.  C.  SETTLEMENTS 


CHAP,  xix     COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF   THE   CAROLINAS  259 

were  six  associates,  who,  with  an  assembly  chosen  by  the  people,    PBRIOD  11 
administered  the  laws,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  proprietors.  ?£I?AII? 

Several  years  before  these  events,  a  company  of  New  Englanders     8J2Jf" 
settled  at  the  mouth  of  Cape  Fear  River;  but,  becoming  discour-       ^ 
aged,  they  soon  abandoned  the  colony.     In  1663,  a  number  of  colo-       m8 
nizers  from  Barbadoes  bought  a  tract  of  land,  in  the  same  neighbor 
hood,  thirty-two  miles  square,  and  began  to  found  a  settlement 
Sir  John  Yeamans  with  several  hundred  immigrants  landed  at  Cape 
Fear  River  in  May,  1664,  and  made  satisfactory  terms  with  the  people 
from  Barbadoes.     The  domain,  then  governed  by  Yeamans,  was  named 
the  Clarendon  County  Colony,  and  extended  from  Cape  Fear  to  the  St. 
John's  River,  in  Florida.    The  soil  was  poor,  but  valuable  pine  lumber      The 
was  on  every  hand,  and  the  settlers  turned  their  energies  to  the  manu-    0f°Albe- 
facture  of  boards,  shingles,  and  staves,  and  the  extracting  and  making     marie 
of  turpentine,  for  which  they  found  a  ready  sale  in  the  West  Indies.    Claren- 
The  Albemarle  County  Colony  and  that  of  Clarendon  County  thrived,  Counties 
and  became  the  foundation  of  the  commonwealth  of  North  Carolina. 

Lord  Ashley,  afterwards  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  showed  deep  in 
terest  in  these  enterprises,  and  had  more  to  do  with  the  settlement 
and  development  of  the  Carolinas  than  all  the  rest  of  his  associates. 
In  1670,  the  proprietors  sent  three  ships  with  immigrants  to  settle 
in  the  more  southern  portions  of  the  province.  They  were  in  charge 
of  William  Sayle  and  Joseph  West,  and  landed  at  Beaufort  Island, 
where  Sayle  died  in  the  following  year,  and  Sir  John  Yeamans  suc 
ceeded  him  as  governor.  The  settlement  was  abandoned  soon  after, 
and  the  immigrants  located  a  few  miles  above  where  Charleston  now 
stands,  on  a  spot  known  as  Old  Town.  This  was  changed  in  1680  to 
the  present  site  of  Charleston.  Its  organization  was  under  the  title 
of  the  Carteret  County  Colony,  and  representative  government  was 
established  in  1672.  Yeaman's  management  was  so  poor  that  he  was 
removed  in  1674,  and  Joseph  West  appointed  his  successor.  His 
wise  and  energetic  rule  added  greatly  to  the  prosperity  of  the  colony. 

An  absurd  ambition  of  the  Carolina  proprietors  was  to  establish  a 
great  empire  in  the  province.     Sir  Ashley  Cooper,  and  the  famous 
philosopher,  John  Locke,  undertook  to  frame  a  constitution  and  per 
fect  a  scheme  suitable   to  the  grand  ideas  of  them  and  their  associ 
ates.     They  completed  their  work  in  1669.     The  "Grand  Model,"     &£** 
as  it  was  called,  cannot  be  considered  at  this  era  without  a  smile.     Model 
First,  it  divided  the  immense  territory  into  counties,  each  contain-  9 


i6o 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xix 


fBRlOO  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 

SBTTLE- 

MENT 

1602 

TO 

1758 


The 
Albe- 

marle 
Colony 


Turbu 
lent 
Times 


ing  four  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  acres.     The  lands  were  par 
titioned  into  five  equal  parts,  one  of  which  belonged  to  the  pro 
prietors,  one  to  each  of  two  orders  of  nobility — landgraves  and  earls, 
and  caciques  or  barons — one  of  the  former  and  two  of  the  latter  being 
assigned  to  each  county ;  while  the  remaining  three-fifths  were  the 
property  of  "  the  people."     When  this  absurd  scheme,  designed  to 
establish  titles  and  aristocratic  distinctions  in  America,  was  submit 
ted  to  the  citizens  of  the  Carolinas,  they  rejected  it  so  overwhelm 
ingly  that  it  was  never  afterwards  referred  to  except  with  ridicule. 

Matters  went  amiss  with  the  Albemarle  Colony.  Governor  Ste* 
phens  died  in  1674,  and  Carteret,  who  was  chosen  to  fill  his  place 
until  the  arrival  of  instructions  from  the  proprietors,  showed  so  little 
interest  in  affairs  that  he  soon  left  for  England.  To  end  the  confusion, 
and  allay  the  belief  that  the  proprietors  intended  to  turn  the  colony 
over  to  Governor  Berkeley,  of  Virginia,  the  speaker  of  the  assembly, 
Thomas  Eastchurch,  was  sent  in  16/6  to  explain  matters  to  the  pro 
prietors,  and  secure  the  appointment  of  a  competent  governor.  East- 
church  thought  his  mission  well  accomplished  when  he  obtained  the 
necessary  instructions,  and  his  #wn  commission  as  governor. 

Thomas  Miller,  who  was  believed  to  be  plotting  against  the  colony, 
and  was,  therefore,  regarded  with  extreme  disfavor,  had  visited  Eng 
land  and  obtained  an  appointment  as  Lord  Shaftesbury's  deputy  in 
Carolina.  Eastchurch  and  Miller  sailed  for  America  in  the  same 
ship,  but  while  halting  at  the  West  Indies  Eastchurch  was  so  filled 
with  admiration  for  a  young  lady  whom  he  met,  that  he  stayed  be 
hind  to  woo  her,  while  Miller  went  forward  as  his  deputy.  He  ar 
rived  at  Albemarle  in  July,  1677,  and  became  the  acting  governor. 
Miller  found  some  of  the  people  disposed  to  be  law-abiding,  but 
many  were  reckless  adventurers  and  vagrants.  The  main  industry 
of  the  community  was  the  trade  with  New  England,  and  nearly  all 
thus  engaged  used  every  effort  to  escape  the  payment  of  the  English 
customs-dues.  In  his  vigorous  efforts  to  abolish  smuggling,  Miller 
caused  an  uprising,  which  resulted  in  the  imprisonment  of  himself  and 
his  deputies,  and  the  calling  of  a  new  assembly,  which  took  the  gov 
ernment  in  its  own  hands. 

Thus  matters  stood,  when  Governor  Eastchurch  and  his  bride  ar 
rived  from  the  West  Indies.  Being  powerless,  he  appealed  to  Gov 
ernor  Berkeley,  of  Virginia,  for  aid  in  recovering  his  rights ;  but 
before  any  steps  to  that  end  were  taken,  Eastchurch  died.  An  ap- 


CHAP,  xix     COLONIAL   HISTORY    OF   THE    CAROLINAS 


261 


peal  was  then  made  to  the  proprietors,  who  appointed  Seth  Sothell    PERIOD  11 
governor.     Sothell  sailed  for  the  Carolinas,  but  on  his  way  was  cap-    COLOHH*. 

*  TION  AMP 

tured  by  the  Turks  and  taken  to  Algiers.     Learning  of  his  misfor-     s^f' 
tunes,  John  Harvey  was  assigned  the  task  of  ruling  the  colony  until 
Sothell  should  put  in  ah  appearance.     Harvey  made  so  poor  a  ruler 
that  John  Jenkins  took  his  place  in  the  summer  of  1680.     His  rule 
lasted  only  until  the  following  February,  when  Henry  Wilkinson 


l6oa 


THE    UPRISING— MILLER    IN    PRISON 

became  governor.  In  1683,  Sothell,  having  escaped  from  the  Turks, 
arrived  and  took  charge  of  affairs,  which  had  not  improved  in  the 
least.  Meanwhile,  the  southern  colony  enjoyed  prosperity  and  tran 
quillity  for  several  years,  under  the  sagacious  Joseph  West.  Among 
the  immigrants  who  continued  to  arrive  were  many  of  the  persecuted 
Huguenots,  whose  industry,  refined  tastes,  and  moral  life  gave  them 
an  exalted  place  among  the  early  settlers,  hardly  if  at  all  equalled  by 
any  other  pioneers. 

Sothell,  the  governor  of  the  northern  colony,  proved  to  be  di* 


&  Period 

<rf  Mis 
rule, 

1695 


962  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xix 


honest,  small-minded,  and  tyrannical.     He  became  so  oppressive  that 
TI°ON  AND"    t^ie  PeoPle  speedily  rose  in  rebellion,  banished  him  for  a  year,  and 
sJJJJf"     declared  him  forever  disqualified  for  the  office  of  governor.     Sotheli 
*fo2       took  up  his  residence  in  the  southern  colony,  where  we  shall  soon 
1758       hear  of  him  again. 

In  Philip  Ludwell,  Sothell's  successor,  the  northern  colony  se 
cured  an  honest  man,  but  he  was  wanting  in  energy,  and  was  soon 
removed.  Thomas  Smith  was  the  next  experiment  in  the  office  of 
ruler,  but  he  notified  the  proprietors  that  it  was  folly  to  undertake 
to  rule  the  provinces  by  a  deputy  :  they  must,  he  said,  send  one  of 
their  own  number  as  governor.  The  advice  was  taken,  and  John 
Archdale,  a  Quaker,  who  had  bought  the  interest  of  one  of  the  pro 
prietors,  came  over  as  governor  in  1695. 

fafi"  It  is  a  pleasure  to  think  of  this  good  man  and  wise  ruler.  Being 
Benefi-  a  devout  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  it  followed  that  he  was 
Rule,  honest.  Besides  that,  he  was  wise,  and  possessed  admirable  tact. 
His  utterances  on  his  arrival  were  in  the  best  of  taste,  and  he 
quickly  won  the  confidence  of  all.  He  knew  when  to  be  indulgent 
and  when  to  be  inflexible.  Everybody  respected  him.  The  Indians 
soon  learned  that  a  man  was  at  the  head  of  affairs  who  spoke  with 
"a  single  tongue,"  and  they,  too,  yielded  him  their  confidence.  At 
the  close  of  1696,  he  returned  to  England,  leaving  as  his  successor 
Joseph  Blake,  a  brother  of  the  famous  Admiral  Blake  and  nephew  of 
Archdale,  who  was  also  a  good  ruler. 

Seth  Sotheli,  when  he  turned  his  back  upon  the  northern  province 
which  had  banished  him,  reached  the  southern  colony  just  at  the 
time  when  the  dissatisfied  ones  were  looking  around  for  a  leader. 
Sotheli  seemed  to  be  the  man  they  wanted,  and  he  was  accepted. 
He  seized  the  government  in  1690,  called  together  an  assembly 
composed  of  his  friends,  robbed  right  and  left,  and  speedily  made 
himself  detested.  The  proprietors  were  finally  compelled  to  remove 
him,  and,  returning  to  Albemarle,  he  died  in  1694. 

Although  the  northern  and  southern  colonies  were  united  for  a 
number  of  years  longer,  they  acted  independently  of  each  other,  and 
both  made  steady  advances  in  population,  in  wealth,  and  in  general 
prosperity.  Those  in  North  Carolina  (as  we  may  as  well  call  the 
northern  colony)  began-  to  give  their  attention  to  the  resources  of 
the  vast  wilderness  stretching  away  for  unknown  miles  to  the  west 
ward.  This  illimitable  forest  abounded  with  deer,  buffaloes,  tur- 


FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  DRAWING  BY  Q.    «.  BARDWOl 


A    GOOD    AND    WISE    RULER 


264  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xix 

PERIOD  ii    keys,  beavers,  and  other  game,  for  which  the  settlers  hunted  and 


An  attempt  was  made,  in  1704,  to  establish  the  ecclesiastical  do- 
1602       minion  of  the   Church  of   England  in  North  Carolina.     The  first 
'758       church  was  erected  in  1705,  but  no  court-house  was  built  until  1722, 
while  the  first  printing-press  was  not  set  up  until  1754.    The  church 

Ecclesi-    named  was  erected  at  the  public  expense,  but  the  scheme  of  an  es^ 
Distur-    tablished  church  was  vehemently  opposed  by  the  people,  the  Friends 

in^North  ^QmS  tne  strongest  in  opposition.     The  disturbances  were  so  vio- 

Carolina  lent  for  a  while  that  two  governors  and  two  assemblies  tried  to 
exercise  their  functions  at  the  same  time  ;  but  the  quarrel  soon  sub 
sided,  and  the  people  accepted  the  scheme  proposed,  but  sturdily 
refused  to  become  churchmen. 

We  have  referred  to  the  excellent  character  of  the  Huguenots 
who  helped  in  the  settlement  and  development  of  the  Carolinas. 
They  located  on  the  banks  of  the  Trent,  a  tributary  of  the  Neuse,  in 
1707,  and,  a  couple  of  years  later,  Swiss  emigrants  settled  New 
Berne,  at  the  head  of  the  Neuse.  A  hundred  German  families 
about  the  same  time  began  to  found  settlements  on  the  headwaters 
of  the  Neuse  and  the  banks  of  the  Roanoke. 
Mas-  One  night,  in  October,  1711,  the  Tuscaroras  and  other  Indians 

the  Set-  attacked  the  German  settlers  along  the  Roanoke  and  Pamlico  Sound. 
More  than  one  hundred  men,  women,  and  children  were  massacred, 
and  scores  of  homes  laid  in  ashes.  North  Carolina  was  very  natu 
rally  thrown  into  consternation  at  this  outbreak.  Some  of  the  inhab 
itants  ran  towards  the  sea-coast,  and  others  fled  from  the  province. 
Those  that  remained  called  upon  South  Carolina  for  help.  Colonel 
Barnwell  hastily  gathered  a  force  of  men,  including  a  considerable 
number  of  friendly  Indians,  and  hurried  to  the  aid  of  his  distressed 
neighbors.  The  Tuscaroras  were  driven  back  to  their  fortified  towns, 
where  they  gladly  pledged  themselves  to  remain  peaceful.  The  South 
Carolinians  broke  this  pledge  on  their  way  home,  and  committed  many 
atrocities.  The  Tuscaroras  again  flew  to  arms,  and  terror  once  more 
reigned.  The  North  Carolinians  would  have  been  destroyed  had 

Defeat  of  not  their  brethren  a  second  time  gone  to  their  help.     The  hostiles 

caroras"  were  badly  defeated,  and  several  hundred  of  the  Tuscaroras  were 

made  prisoners.     The  remainder  fled  northward,  into  the  present 

State  of  New  York,  where  they  joined  the  five  tribes  composing  the 

Iroquois  confederacy.     Because  of  this  reinforcement  the  league  has 


CHAP,  xix     COLONIAL    HISTORY    OF   THE    CAROLINAS 


265 


QUEEN    ANNE 


since  been  generally  referred  to  as  the  "  Six  Nations,"  though  known 
also  by  the  name  of  the  "  Five  Nations." 

South  Carolina  suffered  from  another  cause  of  disturbance.  When 
her  governor,  in  1702,  learned  of  Queen  Anne's  proclamation  of  war 
against  France,  and  that  Spain  was  also  embroiled,  he  proposed  to 
the  assembly  that  an  expedition  should  be  sent  against  St.  Augus 
tine.  The  assembly  gave  its  assistance, 
and  a  force  numbering  six  hundred  colo 
nists  and  as  many  Indians  was  organized, 
and  in  two  divisions,  one  by  land  and  the 
other  by  water,  the,  expedition  advanced 
against  the  old  Spanish  town.  Upon  the 
approach  of  the  land  force,  the  Spaniards 
retired  within  the  fort,  where  they  were 
safe,  since  the  Englishmen  had  no  artillery. 

When  the  vessels  arrived  soon  afterward, 
they  blockaded  the  harbor  of  St.  Augustine. 
The  land  forces  plundered  the  town,  and  a 
force  was  sent  to  Jamaica  for  cannon,  but,  before  it  returned,  two 
Spanish  war-vessels  appeared,  and  the  blockaders  fled.  The  cam 
paign  having  failed,  Governor  Moore,  a  year  later,  tried  his  hand  at 
a  campaign  against  the  Indians,  who  were  known  to  be  allies  of  the 
Spaniards.  They  occupied  a  region,  a  portion  of  which  they  had 
cultivated,  between  the  Savannah  and  Altamaha  rivers,  in  Georgia. 
He  desolated  their  villages,  killed  a  large  number,  and  took  many 
captives.  A  few  years  afterwards,  the  red  men  proved  that  they 
had  not  forgotten  this  blow  received  at  the  hands  of  the  English. 

In  retaliation  for  the  attack  upon  St.  Augustine,  an  expedition, 
consisting  of  five  vessels-of-war,  under  the  command  of  a  French 
admiral,  and  a  strong  body  of  troops,  left  Havana  to  attack  Charles 
ton.  1  he  intention  was  to  conquer  the  province,  and  annex  it  to 
the  Spanish  territory  in  Florida.  This  formidable  squadron  crossed 
the  bar  in  May,  1706,  landed  a  considerable  number  of  troops,  and 
the  commander  sent  a  demand  to  Governor  Moore  to  surrender,  with 
the  threat  that  he  would  take  the  town  by  storm  in  case  of  refusal. 
The  governor  had  made  every  preparation  possible,  and  returned  a 
defiant  reply.  To  give  emphasis  to  the  refusal,  the  invaders  'on 
shore  were  attacked,  many  were  killed,  and  a  large  number  taken 
prisoners,  while  the  remainder  were  driven  in  confusion  to  their  ships. 


PERIOD  II 

COLON  i  ZA* 

TION  AND 

SETTLB- 

MENT 

1602 

TO 

1758 


Expedi 
tion  of 
South 
Carolina 
against 
St.  Au 
gustine, 
1702 


Spanish 
Expedi 
tion 
against 
Charles 
ton,  1706 


266 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xix 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE- 

KENT 

1602 

TO 

1758 


League 

of  Hos 
tile 

Tribes 
and 

Massa 
cre  of  the 

Settlers, 
1715 


Defeat 

of  the 

Indians, 

1715 


The  French  admiral  was  astounded,  and,  when  he  saw  the  few  ves 
sels  composing  the  navy  preparing  to  attack  his  squadron,  he  weighed 
anchor  and  put  to  sea.  No  more  danger  was  to  be  feared  from  that 
quarter. 

But  the  greatest  tempest  of  all  was  gathering  its  thunderbolts,  to 
be  launched  against  the  Carolinas.  Urged  by  the  French  in  the 
Mississippi  valley  and  the  Spaniards  in  Florida,  a  league  composed 
of  the  Indian  tribes  between  the  Cape  Fear  and  St.  Mary  rivers,  in 
cluding  fully  six  thousand  warriors,  was  formed  for  the  destruction 
of  the  English.  In  this  league  were  included  Creeks,  Cherokees, 


INDIAN    RUNNER    BEARING    NEWS    OF    HOSTILITIES 

Choctaws,  Chickasaws,  Congarees,  and  Yemmasees.  Another  thou 
sand  in  the  Neuse  region  attacked  the  settlements  there,  in  revenge 
for  the  blow  struck  them  several  years  before. 

On  the  morning  of  April  1 3th,  1715,  the  Yemmasees  assailed  the 
settlers  along  the  seaboard,  and  began  a  fearful  massacre.  One  of 
the  fleetest  of  the  Indians,  dodging  the  infuriated  savages,  swam 
several  streams  and  ran  a  dozen  miles  with  the  news  to  Port  Royal. 
There  the  people  hurried  on  board  a  ship,  and  carried  the  tidings  to 
Charleston,  whither  streams  of  panic-stricken  planters  and  their  fam 
ilies  rushed  in  frenzied  haste.  Governor  Craven  saw  that  the  capital 
was  in  the  gravest  danger.  He  declared  martial  law,  caused  all  the 
weapons  and  ammunition  in  the  town  to  be  seized,  armed  the  able- 


CHAP,  xix     COLONIAL   HISTORY   OF   THE   CAROLINAS 


267 


KING    GEORGE    I 


bodied  men,  friendly  Indians,  and  trustworthy  blacks,  and  with  this 
mixed  force,  of  more  than  a  thousand  men,  marched  out  to  meet  the 
savages,  who  were  eagerly  advancing  to  attack  him.  The  Indians 
were  defeated,  and  pursued  until  they  took  refuge  under  the  Spanish 
guns  at  St.  Augustine.  The  hostiles  from 
the  north  were  driven  back,  and  the  most 
powerful  tribes  of  the  league,  which  had 
not  yet  taken  the  warpath,  were  so  im 
pressed  by  the  prowess  of  the  white  men 
that  they  decided  to  leave  them  alone. 
Then  followed  a  lasting  peace. 

The  proprietary  system  of  government 
had  long  been  unpopular  in  South  Carolina. 
It  was  expensive,  and  many  of  the  gover 
nors  were  wholly  unfitted  for  their  duties. 
Something  like  a  revolt  took  place,  when 
the  king  (George  I.*)  inclined  a  favorable 
ear  to  the  petition  of  his  subjects,  ^nd,  in 
1720,  South  Carolina  was  made  a  royal  province,  under  Francis  Nich 
olson  as  governor.  Then  North  Carolina  became  restive,  and  the 
proprietors,  making  provision  for  the  inevitable,  sold  the  province  to 
the  king  in  1728,  and  that,  too,  became  a  royal  province.  The  two 
Carolinas  were  then  separated,  George  Barrington  becoming  Gover 
nor  of  North  Carolina,  and  Robert  Johnson  of  South  Carolina. 
There  were  many  disputes  between  the  people  and  their  royal  gov 
ernors,  and  much  friction  and  dissatisfaction  existed  down  to  the 
breaking  out  of  the  French  and  Indian  war. 

*  The  first  of  the  Hanoverian  kings  of  England,  under  a  successor  of  whom  the  Amer 
ican  colonies  were  to  achieve  independence.  The  coming  of  the  Elector  of  Hanover  to 
the  English  throne  had  little  immediate  influence  on  the  colonies,  for  George  I.  (1714— 
1727)  was  little  versed  in  English  affairs, -and  did  not  even  speak  English;  while  France 
was,  for  the  time,  under  the  youthful  Louis  XV.  and  the  Regency.  George  I.  owed  his 
accession  to  the  throne  to  the  now-established  Protestantism  of  the  nation,  which,  since 
William  and  Mary  had  died  childless,  and  Anne  had  no  survivors,  transferred  the  suc 
cession  from  the  collateral  Stuart  heirs,  who  were  Catholics,  to  the  son  of  the  Electress 
Sophia  of  Hanover,  the  last-surviving  child  of  Elizabeth  Stuart,  daughter  of  James  I.  of 
England.  Under  George  I.  and  George  II.,  Jacobite  intrigue  was  stamped  out,  and  the 
nation  was  launched,  under  Whig  auspices,  on  a  new  career  of  political  and  national 
development.  Under  the  second  George,  as  the  narrative  discloses,  the  war  with  France 
on  this  continent  ran  its  fateful  course  to  its  brilliant  close,  on  the  heights  above 
Quebec.  Under  the  third  of  the  Hanoverian  (or  Brunswick)  dynasty,  the  American 
colonies,  were,  as  we  know,  to  emerge  into  nationhood. 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE- 
MENT 
1002 

TO 

1758 


The 
Two 
Caroli 
nas 
made 
Royal 
Provin 
ces, 
1729 


William 
Penn 


CHAPTER    XX 

THE  COLONIAL   HISTORY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA  AND 

DELA  WARE 

[Authorities  :  Though  among  the  last  of  the  English  colonies  to  be  permanently  and 
happily  settled,  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware  had  an  earlier  history  before  Penn's  day, 
under  Swedish,  Dutch,  ar^  English  rule.  Both  colonies  owe  much  to  the  pacific  and 
humane  character  of  their  illustrious  founder,  and  not  the  least  of  their  debt  to  Penn 
and  the  Society  of  Friends  was  their  freedom  from  Indian  molestation  and  border  em 
broilments.  This  absence  from  strife,  in  the  case,  especially,  of  the  larger  and  more 
important  of  the  two  colonies,  was  most  favorable  to  its  speedy  and  substantial  develop 
ment,  and,  when  the  time  came,  to  its  assuming  that  historic  and  commanding  impor 
tance  which  Pennsylvania  won  in  the  founding  of  the  nation.  The  supplementary 
sources  of  information  respecting  Pennsylvania  are  both  numerous  and  important.  The 
various  memoirs  of  Penn — the  best  of  which  are  Janney's,  and  Stoughton's — together 
with  the  annals  of  the  Quakers,  and  the  local  histories  of  Philadelphia,  should  all  be 
consulted.  See,  especially,  Egle's  "History  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania;" 
also,  Scharf's  "  Delaware."] 

the  preceding  chapters  the  reader  will  have  found 
mention  made  of  the  Friends,  or  Quakers.  These 
good  people  appeared  in  England  in  the  early  part 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  and,  as  we  have 
learned,  suffered  persecution  in  Massachusetts  and 
in  some  other  of  the  colonies. 

Among  the  many  converts  to  the  faith  of 
George  Fox,  the  founder  of  this  sect,  was  young  William  Penn, 
only  son  of  the  famous  Admiral  Penn.  He  was  converted  while  at 
college,  and  suffered  persecution,  not  only  from  the  authorities,  but 
from  his  father,  who  had  no  patience  with  his  principles,  and  beat 
and  disowned  him.  His  mother  acted  as  mediator,  and,  in  the  end, 
the  integrity  and  consistent  life  of  the  clever  young  man  won  back 
the  affection  of  the  paternal  parent,  and  the  two  became  reconciled. 


CHAP,  xx     PENNSYLVANIA   AND    DELAWARE 


269 


When  Admiral  Penn  died,  he  left  his  son  a  large  fortune.  Among 
the  assets  was  a  debt  of  eighty  thousand  dollars,  owed  by  the  gov- 
ernment  to  his  father  for  his  services.  The  son  proposed  that  this 
should  be  paid  in  the  form  of  a  grant  of  land  in  America,  and  the 
offer  was  gladly  accepted.  Penn  had  already  become  interested  in 
the  settlement  of  this  country.  New  Jersey  had  come  into  the  pos 
session  of  some  Friends,  for  whom  he  acted  as  arbitrator,  and  the 
persecution  which  his  brethren  suffered  caused  him  to  long  for  some 
place  where  they  could  live  in  tranquillity.  Others  who  had  sought 
refuge  for  conscience'  sake  in  America  had  found  there  an  asylum, 
and  he  looked  upon  the  opportunity  thus  offered  as  a  timely  and 
providential  one. 

A  charter,  granting  to  William  Penn  the  present  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania,  was  issued,  March  I4th,  1681.  Penn  and  his  heirs  were  to 
retain  proprietorship  in  this  immense  tract  forever,  upon  the  nomi- 
nal  annual  payment  of  two  beaver  skins.  The  grant  having  been 
made,  Penn  was  ready  with  the  name  "  New  Wales"  for  it,  but  the 
secretary  of  state  was  a  Welshman,  and  did  not  like  the  name.  Then 
Penn  offered  "  Sylvania,"  but  King  Charles  insisted  that  it  should 
be  "  Pennsylvania,"  in  remembrance  of  his  faithful  admiral.  Penn 
was  shocked,  as  this  would  look  like  conceit  on  his  part.  He  offered 
the  secretary  who  drew  up  the  charter  a  liberal  present  of  money  if 
he  would  leave  off  the  "  Penn"  from  the  name;  but  the  clerk  took 
good  care  that  it  remained.  The  grant  being  secure  in  his  hands, 
Penn  took  steps  to  carry  out  the  views  he  had  held  for  years.  He 
was  a  good  man,  and  wise  beyond  his  generation.  He  let  it  be 
known  that  he  meant  to  form  a  just  government,  whose  foundation 
principle  was  absolute  freedom  of  conscience.  As  a  consequence, 
the  colonization  of  Pennsylvania  attracted  the  widest  desirable 
attention. 

In  May,  1681,  Penn  sent  his  cousin,  William  Markham,  to  Penn- 
sylvania  as  his  representative  and  deputy-governor.  He  took  a 
large  number  of  emigrants  with  him,  chiefly  of  those  which  were  in 
the  employ  of  the  "  Company  of  Free  Traders,"  which  had  bought 
lands  of  the  proprietor.  Land  was  offered  at  forty  shillings  per 
hundred  acres,  and,  so  great  was  the  confidence  in  Penn,  that  thou 
sands  of  people  turned  their  attention  to  Pennsylvania,  and  made 
preparations  for  removing  thither. 

We  cannot  too  highly  commend  the  course  of  William  Penn  in 


PERIOD  n 


vana 

' 


First 


to  Penn. 
y 


270 


HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xx 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SBTTLE- 

MENT 

I6O2 

TO 

1758 


The 

Wisdom 
and  Jus 
tice   of 
Penn 


Arbitra 
tion 

rather 
than  the 

Sword 


PENN'S    CHAIR 


founding  the  great  commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania.  Had  his  exam 
ple  and  spirit  been  followed  elsewhere,  multitudes  of  lives,  and  un 
told  suffering,  disaster,  misery,  and  wretchedness  would  have  given 

place  to  peace,  prosperity,  and  happiness. 
In  framing  his  laws  for  the  colony,  the 
humane  founder  proceeded  on  the  belief 
that  there  is  in  every  human  being  a  dis 
position  to  do  right,  and  that  if  this  dispo 
sition  is  nurtured,  the  person  will  do  right. 
He  was  unwilling  to  make  any  crime  pun 
ishable  with  death;  but  Chief  Justice 
North  insisted  that  such  should  be  the 
penalty  for  murder  and  treason.  No  man, 
however,  was  hanged  in  Pennsylvania 
during  the  lifetime  of  Penn. 

One  of  the  beneficent  laws  of  the  col 
ony  was  that  arbitration  ought  to  settle 
all  disputes,  even  between  nations.  No 
doubt  the  time  will  come  when  the  peoples 
of  the  world  will  adopt  this  Christian  method  of  ending  their  quar 
rels.  There  have  been  many  wars,  in  which  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  innocent  lives  have  been  sacrificed,  for  which  there  was  often  not 
the  least  justification.  The  ambition  of  one  man,  a  wrangle  between 
two  rogues  who  happened  to  be  in  authority,  the  possession  of  some 
worthless  bit  of  land,  a  mutual  jealousy,  have  been  sufficient  to  in 
cite  men  to  fly  at  each  other's  throats,  and  plunge  peaceful  commu 
nities  in  the  horrors  of  a  long  and  bloody  strife.  History  is  full  of 
such  instances.  How  often  have  we  seen  their  dreadful  effect  in 
the  early  colonial  wars,  when  French  and  English  lived  side  by  side 
as  friendly  neighbors ;  then  word  would  come  that  their  respective 
countries,  thousands  of  miles  away,  had  begun  fighting.  Straight 
way,  these  neighbors  would  become  mortal  enemies,  and  set  to  work 
to  kill  each  other.  All  this  might  have  been  saved  by  arbitration, 
which,  it  is  a  pleasure  to  observe,  is  now  growing  more  in  favor, 
both  in  the  New  and  in  the  Old  World. 

Among  the  other  good  measures  formulated  by  Penn  was  that  of 
devoting  prisons  to  the  reformation,  instead  of  to  the  punishment,  of 
criminals,  another  great  civilizing  truth  which  is  happily  gaining 
ground.  He  declared  oaths  useless,  since  a  person  who  will  lie 


CHAP,  xx     PENNSYLVANIA   AND    DELAWARE 


271 


would  do  so  under  any  circumstances.  Drunkenness,  cock-fighting, 
and  card-playing  were  pronounced  cruel  and  wrong ;  falsehood  was 
punishable  as  a  crime ;  and,  in  all  litigation  in  which  an  Indian  was 
interested,  it  was  insisted  on  that  half  of  the  jury  should  be  com 
posed  of  Indians. 

Now,  if  the  reader  will  glance  at  the  map  of  our  country,  he  will 
observe  that  Pennsylvania  is  an  inland  State,  that  is,  that  no  part  of 
it  touches  the  ocean.  It  would  be  a  great  drawback  to  its  prosperity 
so  long  as  it  was  shut  out  from  the  seaboard.  The  possession  of 
Delaware  was  the  one  thing  needed  to  overcome  this  obstacle ;  but 
Lord  Baltimore  claimed  that  it  was  included 
in  his  grant,  though  the  Duke  of  York 
would  not  admit  the  claim.  To  end  the  dis 
pute,  however,  the  latter  offered  to  buy  the 
domain  of  the  baron,  who  refused  to  sell. 
Penn  condemned  the  course  of  Baltimore, 
whereupon  the  duke  gave  to  Penn  a  quit 
claim  deed  for  the  territory  now  composing 
the  State  of  Delaware.  It  was  then  divided, 
as  at  the  present  time,  into  the  counties  of 
New  Castle,  Kent,  and  Sussex,  and  was  re 
ferred  to  as  the  "Three  Lower  Counties 
on  the  Delaware." 

In  1 68 1,  three  vessels  with  emigrants 
were  sent  to  Pennsylvania,  besides  the  one 
already  named.  At  Chester  one  of  them 
was  caught  in  the  ice-floes,  and  frozen  in 
the  Delaware.  The  immigrants  dug  caves 
in  the  bank,  in  which  they  lived  until  milder 
weather  came.  Then  all  settled  higher  up 
the  river,  and  near  its  banks,  and  began 
building  apd  planting. 

Penn  was  so  interested  in  his  province 
that  he  soon  paid  it  a  visit.     He  sailed  in 
the  ship  Welcome •,  September  ist,  1682,  tak 
ing  with  him  about  a  hundred  immigrants, 
most   of   whom    were    Friends    from    the         WAMPUM  TREATY  BELT. 
neighborhood  of  his  home.     Smallpox  unfortunately  broke  out  among 
them,  and  thirty  died  during  the  passage.     The  voyage  was  long  and 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SBTTLB- 

MBNT 

1602 

TO 


The 

Province 
of    Dela 
ware 
granted 
to  Penn. 
X682 


27* 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xx 


tiresome,  and  it  was  not  until  the  latter  part  of  October  that  the 
Delaware  was  sighted.  Entering  the  river,  a  landing  was  effected  at 
New  Castle,  where  several  thousand  settlers,  composed  of  Swedes, 
Dutch,  English,  Germans,  and  Huguenots,  had  made  their  homes. 

The  reputation  of  Penn  had  preceded  him,  and  he  received  a  cor 
dial  welcome  from  these  people.  Calling  them  fogether  on  the  fol 
lowing  day,  in  the  quaint  old  Dutch  court-house,  he  produced  the 


1602 

TO 


FROZEN   IN   ON    THE   DELAWARE 

Penn's     royal  patent,  and  received  from  the  Duke  of  York's  agent  a  formal 

Pennsyl-  surrender  and  transfer  of  the  territory.     Penn  addressed  the  people 

Vi682*     *n  worc*s  so  kind  and  considerate  that  he  won  their  instant  regard. 

He  "  naturalized"  the  inhabitants,  renewed  the  commissions  of  the 

magistrates,  and  promised  to  remember  their  request  to  make  the 

province  a  part  of  Pennsylvania. 

Parting  with  his  friends,  Penn  now  sailed  up  the  Delaware  to  the 
Swedish  town  of  Upland  (Chester).  At  this  point  he  received  an 
other  cordial  welcome,  and  met  his  cousin,  William  Markham,  whom 


274  HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xx 

PERIOD  ii   he  had  sent  over  as  his  representative  the  year  before.     The  first 
general  assembly  was  held  in  the  Friends'  meeting-house  in  this 
settlement,  and  several  weeks  were  spent  in  making  allotments  of 
ifioa      the  land.     Penn  set  aside  two  estates,  of  ten  thousand  acres  each, 

XO 

«75*      for  his  staunch  friend,  the  Duke  of  York  ;  a  thousand  acres,  free  of 

all  cost  and  charge,  for  his  loved  instructor,  George  Fox  ;  while  eight 

The      thousand  acres  were  reserved  for  himself,  each  of  his  three  infant 

General    children  to  have  a  share.     The  remaining  land  was  sold  at  fourpence 


an  acre,  subject  to  a  yearly  quit-rent  of  one  shilling  for  each  hundred 
Upland    acres.     Penn  also  paid  a  visit  to  the  adjoining  provinces  of  New  Jer- 
'  sey  and  Maryland,  and  in  all  cases  he  was  treated  with  courtesy.     He 
and  Lord  Baltimore  discussed  the  question  of  the  boundary  between 
the  two  provinces,  and  sought  to  settle  the  knotty  point  whether 
Delaware   was  a  part   of    Maryland  or  of  Pennsylvania.     Finding 
that  they  could  not  agree,  they  determined  to  let  the  London  author 
ities  decide  the  matter  for  them. 

Penn's  We  are  all  familiar  with  the  picture  of  the  great  painter,  Benja- 
with  the  min  West,  which  represents  Penn  making  a  treaty  with  the  Indians, 
S>  unc^er  an  immense  spreading  elm,  at  Shackamaxon,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Delaware.  This  historic  spot  is  now  a  portion  of  the  Kensing 
ton  district  of  Philadelphia.  The  interesting  event  took  place  in 
October,  1682,  when  the  trees  had  begun  to  shed  their  foliage.  The 
spot  had  long  been  famous  as  a  meeting-place  for  Indian  councils, 
and  there,  on  the  occasion  named,  gathered  the  chiefs,  sachems,  and 
leading  warriors  of  the  Lenni-Lenape  or  Delaware  Indians,  for  the 
purpose  of  making  a  treaty  with  the  founder  of  Pennsylvania, 
Unluckily,  there  is  no  authentic  account  of  this  meeting  in  the 
open  air  under  the  old  spreading  elm,  but  that  it  took  place  there  is 
little  doubt.  Penn  was  not  yet  forty  years  of  age,  and  he  and  his 
companions  were  dressed  in  the  simple  garb  of  the  Quaker  sect. 
The  Indian  sachems  brought  their  wives  and  children,  but  as  none  of 
them  believed  in  "woman's  rights,"  the  females  took  no  part  in  the 
conference,  and  kept  silently  in  the  background. 

"  We  meet,"  said  Penn,  "  on  the  broad  pathway  of  good  faith  and 
good-will.  No  advantage  shall  be  taken  on  either  side,  but  all  shall 
be  openness  and  love.  I  will  not  call  you  children,  for  parents 
sometimes  chide  their  children  too  severely;  nor  brothers  only,  for 
brothers  differ.  I  will  not  compare  the  friendship  between  you  and 
me  to  a  chain,  for  that  might  be  rusted  by  the  rain,  or  a  falling  tree 


CHAP,  xx     PENNSYLVANIA   AND    DELAWARE 


275 


might  break  it.  But  let  us  feel  that  we  are  the  same  as  if  one  man's 
body  were  to  live  in  two  separate  parts,  for  we  are  all  one  in  man 
kind  ;  we  are  all  of  one  flesh  and  blood." 

The  substance  of  this  speech  was  repeated  to  the  Indians  by  an 
interpreter,  and  Taminent,  the  chief  sachem,  replied  in  a  similar 
vein,  expressing  his  delight  at  the  words  of  his  noble  brother,  to 
whom  he  handed  a  belt  of  wampum  as  a  pledge  of  fidelity.  "  We 
will  live  in  love,"  said  Taminent,  "  with  William  Penn  and  his  chil 
dren  as  long  as  the  sun  and  *noon  shall  endure."  And  this  treaty, 
of  which  it  has  been  said,  it  was  the  only  one  not  sworn  to,  was 
never  broken  by  either  party. 

It  is  not  quite  correct  to  say  that  the  meeting  under  the  great  elm 
was  called  for  the  purpose  of  buying  the  land  from  the  Indians,  for 
it  was  Penn's  purpose  from  the  first  to  make  such  purchase.  He  had 
instructed  Markham  to  explain  this  to  the  red  men,  and  when  the 
founder  met  them,  it  was  to  complete  the  bargain  of  the  preceding 
year.  Penn  not  only  gave  the  price  agreed  upon,  but  delighted  the 
hearts  of  warriors,  women,  and  children  with  numerous  additional 
presents.  If  we  contrast  this  conquest  of  the  savages  by  love  with 
that  of  Menendez  and  other  Spanish  explorers,  whose  weapons  were 
the  sword,  fire,  and  the  hand  of  outrage  and  pillage,  we  shall  see  how 
beneficent  was  Penn's  "better  way."  The  contrast  gains  immensely 
even  with  the  action  of  many  of  our  own  ancestors,  and  with  the 
course  of  our  government  down  to  the  present  time.  True,  Penn  paid 
twice  for  the  soil  of  Pennsylvania,  but  leaving  out  of  view  the  ques 
tion  of  right,  no  more  profitable  bargain  was  ever  made,  for  not  only 
were  treasures  of  money  saved,  but  thousands  of  precious  human, 
lives. 

After  his  visit  to  Lord  Baltimore,  Penn  ascended  the  Delaware  in 
an  open  boat  to  Wicaco,  near  which  stood  an  old  block-house  built 
by  the  Swedes,  and  afterwards  changed  into  a  church.  There  he  pur 
chased  lands  from  the  colonists,  extending  from  the  banks  of  the 
Delaware  to  the  Schuylkill.  On  this  ground  he  laid  out  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  a  civic  appellation  signifying  "  brotherly  love."  Penn 
landed  at  Dock  Street,  opposite  an  unfinished  house,  known  for 
many  years  afterward  as  the  Blue  Anchor  Tavern.  The  plan  of  the 
city  embraced  twelve  square  miles,  and  was  laid  out  by  Penn  and 
Thomas  Holme,  his  surveyor.  The  street  boundaries  were  marked 
on  the  chestnut,  walnut,  spruce,  pine,  locust,  and  other  forest  trees, 


PERIOD  It 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 

SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Philadefc 

phia 
Found* 
ed,  i68t 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xx 


PERIOD  IX 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


which  grew  in  great  numbers,  and  most  of  those  streets  still  bear  the 
names,  given  to  them  more  than  two  centuries  ago. 

The  city  was  prosperous  from  its  first  founding.  A  hundred 
houses  were  erected  during  the  first  year,  and  several  hundred  more 
in  the  second  year.  The  hospitable  "  Blue  Anchor,"  whose  landlord 
bore  the  appropriate  name  of  Guest,  for  a  time  served  also  the  pur 
poses  of  a  corn-exchange  and  post  office.  Schools,  chapels,  and  even 


THE  "BLUE  ANCHOR »»  TAVERN 


printing  houses  soon  appeared,  and  there  were  many  visits  from  the 
Indians,  who  took  delight  in  bringing  peltries  as  presents  for 
"  Father  Penn." 

Second         The  second  assembly  of  the  province  convened  at  Philadelphia  in 

kiySof  the  March,  1683.     Through  these  representatives,  Penn  offered  the  peo- 

Tn°e~     P^e  a  new  cnarter-     It  was  'in  its  terms  so  fair  and  liberal,  that  it 

1683      was  accepted  without  an  opposing  voice.     This  charter  established  a 

republican  form  of  government,  with  religious  toleration,  and  Penn 

went  further  than  any  other  proprietor  in  giving  up  his  chartered 


CHAP,  xx     PENNSYLVANIA   AND    DELAWARE  27; 

rights  to  the  appointment  of  officers.     He,  indeed,  gave  more  than    PERIOD  n 

the  people  had  a  right  to  expect.  COLONIZA 

TION  AND 

In  the  latter  part  of  1682,  a  modest  house  was  built  for  the     sj^jf" 
founder's  use.     It  stood  between  First  and  Second  streets,  in  Letitia       l6°2 
Court,  and  was  not  torn  down  until  a  few  years  ago.     There  the  good       1758 
founder  made  his  home,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  interests  of  the  ,   , 
people  whom  he  loved  with  an  abiding,  fatherly  affection.     He  would 
have  been  glad  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  days  there,  but  it  •  be 
came  necessary  for  him  to  return  to  England.     Lord  Baltimore  had 
gone  thither,  and  was  urging  his  claim  to  the  territory  from  Phila 
delphia  to   Cape   Henlopen.     Penn  saw  that    he  must  defend  his     , 
rights ;  and  it  niay  be  added  that,  after  an  extended  trial,  the  Com 
mittee  on  Trades  and  Plantations  gave  their  decision  in  his  favor. 

He  sailed  for  England  in  the  summer  of  1684,  bearing  with  him     Perm's 
the  veneration  and  love  of  the  whole  people.     He  left  the  govern-    tunTfot 
ment  of  the  province  in  the  hands  of  five  members  of  the  council,      ^mf" 
with  Thomas   Lloyd  as  president.     When  the  founder  looked  over       1684 
the  work  he  had  done,  he  was  surely  warranted  in  writing :  "  I  must, 
without  vanity,  say,  that  I  have  led  the  greatest  colony  into  America 
that  ever  any  man  did  upon  private  credit ;  and  the  most  prosperous 
beginnings  that  ever  were  in  it  are  to  be  found  among  us."     In  his 
farewell  to  the  colonists,  he  said :  "  My  love  and  my  life  are  to  and 
with   you,  and  no  water  can  quench  it,  nor  distance  bring  it  to  an 
end.     I  have  been  with  you,  cared  over,  you,  and  served  you  with 
unfeigned  love ;  and  you  are  beloved  of  me  and  dear  to  me  beyond 
utterance.     I  bless  you  in  the  name  and  power  of  the  Lord,  and  may 
God  bless  you  with  His  righteousness,  peace  and  plenty,  all  the  land 
over !" 

Penn  had  been  in  England  only  a  few  months,  when  Charles  II. 
died,  and  his  brother  James  ascended  the  throne.  The  new  king 
and  Penn  had  been  personal  friends  for  years,  a  fact  which  now  in 
volved  the  Quaker  in  grave  peril.  It  was  soon  noted  that  James  was 
under  the  influence  of  the  Jesuits,  and  Penn  was  suspected  of  favor 
ing  that  order.  After  James  was  driven  from  the  throne  by  revolu 
tion,  Penn  was  arrested  and  tried  three  times  on  the  charge  of  trea 
son,  but  was  acquitted  in  each  instance.  No  one  who  studies  the 
character  of  William  Penn  can  incline  to  the  belief  that  he  was  ever 
guilty  of  acting  the  hypocrite. 

Various  troubles  kept  Penn  in  England  for  fifteen  years,  during 


178 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xx 


PERIOD  II 

COLONIZA 
TION  AND 
SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 

1758 


Seces 
sion  of 

Dela 
ware, 

1691 


Dela 
ware 
given   a 
separate 
Govern 
ment, 
1701 


First 
Indepen 
dent 
Legisla 
ture 

in    Dela 
ware, 
1703 


Penn's 
Return 
to  Eng 
land, 
1701 


which  period  important  events  and  changes  took  place  in  Pennsyl 
vania.  In  April,  1691,  the  Three  Lower  Counties  on  the  Delaware 
took  offence  at  the  action  of  the  Council  at  Philadelphia,  withdrew 
from  the  union  of  Pennsylvania,  and  were  allowed  a  separate  deputy- 
governor.  Such  misrepresentations  came  across  the  ocean,  that 
William  and  Mary,  in  1692,  took  away  Penn's  rights  as  governor  of 
the  province,  and  placed  control  of  the  colony  in  the  hands  of  Gov- 
ernor  Fletcher,  of  New  York.  Fletcher,  in  the  spring  of  1693,  re 
united  the  Three  Lower  Counties  with  Pennsylvania,  and  made 
William  Markham  his  deputy-governor. 

Penn  was  never  without  powerful  friends  at  court,  and  through 
the  intercession  of  a  number  of  them  all  his  rights  were  restored  to 
him  in  the  summer  of  1694.  The  changes,  however,  had  caused  a 
great  deal  of  financial  and  political  trouble  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
Penn's  own  persecution  robbed  him  of  all  his  fortune.  In  1699,  he 
sailed  with  his  daughter  and  second  wife  for  Philadelphia,  where  he 
arrived  in  the  month  of  December.  An  astonishing  scene  met  his 
gaze.  The  city  contained  more  than  two  thousand  inhabitants,  and 
the  province  fully  twenty  thousand.  Philadelphia  had  increased 
faster  during  the  first  few  years  of  its  existence  than  did  New  York 
in  half  a  century. 

It  cannot,  however,  be  said  that  this  prosperity  was  wholly  bene 
ficial.  The  all-potent  moral  power  upon  which  Penn  had  relied  was 
gone,  and  the  people  clamored  for  the  political  privileges  which  were 
promised  them  by  those  who  made  the  laws  during  his  absence.  He 
complied,  and  gave  them  a  new  constitution,  in  November,  1701,  so 
liberal  that  it  satisfied  every  one.  He  was  pained  at  the  demand  of 
the  Three  Lower  Counties  for  a  separate  government,  but  he  granted 
it  in  1702.  The  first  independent  legislature  in  Delaware  assem 
bled  at  New  Castle,  in  1703.  This  was  continued  until  the  Revolu 
tion,  although  the  two  provinces  remained  under  the  same  governor. 

Penn's  residence,  while  in  the  city,  was  the  "  Slate  Roof  House," 
in  Second  Street,  on  the  corner  of  Norris's  Alley;  but  in  the  spring 
he  moved  to  a  roomy  structure,  near  Bristol,  on  the  Delaware.  The 
place  still  bears  the  name  of  "  Penn's  Manor."  The  founder  of  the 
commonwealth  sailed  for  England  in  October,  1701.  Now  that  ad 
versity  had  come  to  him,  his  misfortunes  increased,  and  matters 
went  wrong,  not  only  at  home,  but  in  the  province.  Andrew  Hamil 
ton,  who  was  left  as  deputy,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  John  Evans. 


CHAP,  xx      PENNSYLVANIA   AND    DELAWARE 


279 


who  quickly  made  himself  disliked.  His  private  character  was  as 
bad  as  Lord  Cornbury's,  and  the  people  would  have  revolted  in  1 709 
had  he  not  been  succeeded  by  John  Gookin.  The  latter  was  stern 
and  uncompromising,  and  soon  after  his  arrival  he  made  a  requisition 
upon  the  province  for  its  quota  of  men  to  fight  against  the  French. 

Now,  as  is  well  known,  a  Quaker's  faith  forbids  him  to  give  any 
aid  in  prosecuting  war.  He  is  a  non-combatant,  ready  to  die,  but 
not  to  fight,  for  his  belief.  Had  the  assembly  been  less  wise,  they 
would  have  found  themselves  in  an  embarrassing  situation.  With 
warm  expressions  of  loyalty  to  the  queen,*  they  begged  that  the 
requisition  might  not  be  enforced,  and  asked  permission,  at  the  same 
time,  to  send  her  majesty  a  present.  The  present  was  in  the  form 
of  money,  and  was  received  willingly  enough,  for  the  sum  was  suffi 
ciently  large  to  hire  elsewhere  the  fighting  quota  of  the  province.' 

Penn  found  on  his  arrival  in  England  that  his  steward  had  robbed 
him  of  all  his  fortune,  and  he  was  so  hopelessly  involved  that  he  lay 
in  prison  nearly  a  year  on  account  of  debt.  He  secured  his  release 
by  mortgaging  his  province,  and  was  about  to  negotiate  for  its  sale, 
when  he  was  stricken  with  paralysis.  This  stayed  all  proceedings, 
though  he  lingered  until  1718,  when  he  quietly  passed  away.f 

Sir  William  Keith  succeeded  Gookin  as  governor  in  1717,  but 
was  removed  from  office  in  1725,  being  succeeded  by  Patrick  Gor 
don.  By  the  will  of  Penn,  the  proprietorship  of  the  province  was 
left  to  his  wife  and  three  sons,  John,  Thomas,  and  Richard.  It  re 
mained  in  them  and  their  heirs  until  the  Revolution,  when  their 
rights  were  purchased  for  a  large  sum  by  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.^: 
The  prosperity  of  Pennsylvania  continued  without  interruption.  At 
one  time  the  immigration  of  the  Germans  and  Irish  became  so  large 
that  a  tax  of  five  shillings  per  head  was  imposed  to  prevent  their 
gaining  ascendancy  over  the  Friends.  Governor  Gordon  died  in 
1736,  and  the  aged  Logan  ruled  for  two  years,  when  George  Thomas 
became  governor,  and  was  succeeded  in  1748  by  James  Hamilton. 

*  Queen  Anne  (1702-1714). 

f  In  his  75th  year. 

j  Penn's  proprietary  rights  were,  in  1790,  bought  up  for  a  pension  of  $20,000  a  year, 
payable  to  the  eldest  male  descendant  of  the  founder's  second  wife.  In  1884,  this  pay 
ment  was  commuted  for  the  sum  of  $335,000. 


PERIOD  II 
COLONIZE 

TION  AN» 

SETTLE 
MENT 
1602 

TO 
1758 


Death  of 

Penii, 

1718 


Subse 
quent 
History 
of  Penn 
sylvania 
to  the 
French 
and  In* 
dian 
War 


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